


Principles of Righteousness

by doctorwatsonofhogwarts



Category: Video Blogging & YouTube RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Character Death, Dubious Consent, Forbidden Love, Forced Crossdressing, M/M, Secret Intelligence Service | MI6, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-28
Updated: 2015-01-13
Packaged: 2017-12-03 22:29:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 29,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/703330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doctorwatsonofhogwarts/pseuds/doctorwatsonofhogwarts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil Lester was an enigma, a corrupt and immoral criminal with a sinfully alluring exterior who was hell bent on achieving his plans yet still attempting to lure Agent Dan Howell to his bed. What will become of them - Lester's plans that could very well destroy the United Kingdom and Howell's unhealthy obsession with the very man he was sent to stop?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first chapter out of many and is supposed to set the scene a little. Interaction between Dan and Phil will happen in the next part, which should be out by Saturday. Please enjoy and let me know what you think :) Also available to read on my Tumblr.

The glass of bourbon was stood on the coffee table, untouched by Dan's lips. He wasn't a believer in drinking during work and it was only accepted out of courtesy, but never drank. Chris believed it a waste of good bourbon, yet he continued to offer it after countless times that Dan left it full, rejected it or pointed out that he wouldn't drink it. Chris was as insistent as Dan was stubborn though.

The two of them were in Chris' apartment, or more specifically his private home office. Regardless of their hi-tech Quartermaster's – PJ's – claims that their headquarters were the safest place in all of England and he continuously worked on making them even safer; Chris still believed that there were some things that were not to be discussed there. They were far too confidential to risk saying at the headquarters and Chris liked to keep his cards close to his chest – he didn't want even the slightest leak of information therefore he had the tendency to handle the most important matters at home (where they were protected by everything that the headquarters had and then some more). When it came to security, the combined efforts of PJ and Chris made it so the latter's private home office had no rivals. Therefore, it was appropriate that Dan was briefed on his mission there.

Christopher James Kendall, an ex-agent for the Queen under MI5 and MI6. Now the boss of his own agency which dealt with affairs that the Queen's lackeys couldn't deal with themselves for whatever reason – too risky, too dangerous, not enough men, can't break the code – Chris' men just picked up where they left off and disregarded the whys. In Chris' humble opinion, the Secret Service were a bunch of pussies ever since a whole generation of people unprepared for being Agents watched James Bond and got stupid ideas. Although the man has great respect for the Queen and her country, that did not extend towards the government and its special agents – who he ridiculed at any given chance.

Chris was considered one of the – if not the best – agent to come out of training, however that did not mean that he was old. He was young, quite astoundingly so considering what he has achieved already in his life. His age and sometimes crude humour (he was quite a joker, that one) were overlooked by anyone older and more prim-and-proper – 'professional' people – as as an agent and now a boss of his own agency – he had no betters.

Then there was Dan himself. Full name: Daniel James Howell; occupation: special agent. Like Chris, he used to work for MI5 and MI6 and now he works as Chris' second in command. Just like Chris, he was young and again, like him he was darn good at what he did. Dan and Chris worked together since the beginning, the two became close friends when they were thrust into agent training at a young age and later, they became work partners. When Chris left the Secret Service, Dan followed him and he still considered it the best decision that he has ever made.

Dan was like the golden child of their agency (Chris named it MI69, but literally no one sans Chris and new recruits who quickly learnt better called it that – it was just The Agency) and was given the most dangerous missions which they couldn't risk being screwed up by recruits.

He lounged in the leather armchair of Chris' office, his lean legs crossed and hands resting on the arm rests. He was wearing a crisp black suit, with the top button undone and black tie twisted into a Windsor knot under it. On the opposite side of the room, Chris stood against the wall sized window overlooking Manchester with his back to Dan and drumming his fingers on the glass to the rhythm of _Baby Got Back._

“So what's the mission this time, Chris? Another thing that the MI5 thought was too risky to send their own agents to fix?” Dan asked, extending his hand to reach for the Newton's cradle resting on Chris' desk. He let the ball going, soft tapping of metal on metal echoing through the room.

“This time it's a bit different – the MI5 isn't too keen on us doing anything. It will be quite a challenge, Dan.” Chris grinned, turning on his heel to face Dan. A glint of excitement appeared in Chris' eyes and when Dan saw it, it let a shiver run down his spine. He knew exactly what it meant and adrenaline started to build in his body the minute he realised it. “We mustn't take this lightly thought, Daniel. This is, after all, a matter of national security.” Dan chuckled at Chris' attempt at acting professional, even going as far as adjusting his tie and making a mock self-important expression form on his face.

“Right,” Dan coughed and nodded, straightening his back. “Serious business.”

“This time you'll be working with Agent Liam Dryden, the threat is too great for you to work alone. Your target's name is –“

“Hang on a second, you mean that you're sending two of your best men after a single man? We haven't had a threat that big in years, what's up with that?” Dan questioned. It was surprising, especially since it's been years since anyone of a high enough calibre threatened the United Kingdom for it to send out its two most experienced agents. A simple hacker or terrorist didn't need that much attention on top of the usual forces.

“Let me explain,” Chris cleared his throat. “Does the name Phillip Lester ring any bells?”

“I've heard of it before, but I can't remember when or why.” Dan admitted.

“How about his nickname so to say, AmazingPhil?”

Dan paused, eyes widening. Now that was a name that he has definitely heard, it was hard not to actually. However he wasn't sure why it was a matter of national security – did the thief return to become something more?

“You are kidding, right? He disappeared six years ago!” Dan remembered it very well, he was assigned on the case along with some other agents back when he was still in Secret Service. It was nearing a year of them following AmazingPhil's trail of destruction when he promptly disappeared. It was almost surreal, although Dan never questioned it until now.

“I'm afraid not, sugar.” Chris admitted, shaking his head. “He came back on the radar almost three weeks ago, although the MI5 kept it well hidden from us. Until PJ broke into their system and found the files, we didn't know – they didn't want us to know.”

Chris turned his laptop around on his desk, so the screen was facing Dan. On it were the stolen files from the MI5 department and some that were from the MI6 – apparently the first sighting of AmazingPhil was three weeks back in Russia. There were also Chris' personal notes open in the tabs as well as the mission write up from six years ago. Dan scanned through them quickly, flicking from tab to tab as Chris continued talking.

“Phil Lester, also known under the alias AmazingPhil. Hacker, thief, con artist – there is literally nothing bad in the world that he hasn't dabbled in. His last sighting in Russia was followed by the assassination of one of their politicians. There is no doubt that Lester was involved.” Chris said. “International criminal, wanted in ninety-six countries with the bounty of £35 million on his head and we've never been even close to catching him. You should now understand why this mission is so important.”

“I understand, I remember that mission from six years ago. He stole the crown jewels without anyone noticing until he returned them after he 'grew bored of them'” Dan muttered, pushing himself back into the armchair.

“Among other things. He posted that video on YouTube under his alias explaining exactly how he did it and with actual footage of the break in. Of course, the video's IP address wasn't traced back to him but the bedroom of some ten year old kid in Sweden,” said Chris. “Lester is brilliant at what he does, therefore I've made my decision to send out the best I've got to take care of him once and for all.”

“Then why don't you help? You're the best there is.”

“I'm still not fully healed from my injury.” Dan winced, immediately regretting ever opening his mouth. Of course, how could've he forgotten? About four months ago Chris got injured on a mission with Dan and it was severe – a miracle that he survived or could ever go back to active duty. However, the latter would not be for a long while, as he was not completely cleared for duty yet. His doctor, Carrie Fletcher, forced him into bed rest for the first three months and left him in a drug-induced coma for the first month. Chris was still taking ridiculous amounts of medication, was under the constant watch of Doctor Fletcher and was only allowed to go back to an extremely light exercise regime to help with his rehabilitation for the last couple of weeks.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up.” Dan apologised. He quickly changed the subject, not wanting to bring up anymore bad memories. “I still don't get how Lester managed it all, greater men fell at our hands, what makes him different?” He asked, studying the photographs in the files. None were recent, except from the last one – a blurred photo of Lester walking through Moscow in the distance, half-hidden by crowds. No doubt that he knew that he was spotted, a man like that does not make such simple mistakes.

“Just because his files are not very flattering about his IQ, education or his middle-class upbringing; it means very little to us. It doesn't make him any less of a threat, I think he's proven that years ago.” Chris' voice was clear, although he paced his speech faster than usual.

“Of course,” Dan agreed. “Is there anything else?” Dan knew that Chris would have all the important files transferred to his own computer by the time he reaches home.

“One last thing, this time Lester decided to threaten us directly. He invited us to play a game, however the MI5 failed to see that.” Chris murmured. His eyes dimmed and he gained a fair-away look on his face. It made Dan go on edge, that look on Chris did not promise good things. Dan nodded, urging Chris to continue in his explanation.

“There is another reason as to why I've picked you for this mission.” Chris admitted. “Apparently he left this game off six years ago and you were one of the key players, as was I. The clues he left us make me believe that he wouldn't show himself unless all of the players were willing to play with him.”

“What's at stake?”

Chris froze, closing his eyes. He was silent for a minute before he sat down in his chair, hiding his face behind his hands. Dan sat on the edge of his seat, awaiting the answer to his question.

“Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II”


	2. Chapter 2

Over the course of the night following his meeting with Chris, Dan slept little. He expected it, as his mind was in overdrive thinking about Lester so he worked himself into exhaustion in his gym. However, although his body was tired and aching all over, his brain didn't take it as a sign to switch off thus leaving him restless on his bed until early hours of the morning. By the time that he actually fell asleep, he had less than an hour until he had to get back up.

It didn't leave him tired though, surprisingly Dan was bustling with energy. It always happened when a mission filled his body on adrenaline – he was high on it until the mission reached its end. It was a feeling of power pumping through his body, the thrill of the chase excited him beyond anything. It was part of the reason why he chose to become an agent.

Despite his lack of sleep or how his body was now running on pure emotion, Dan showered and dressed himself in the usual black suit. He stretched his body, feeling the numb after effects of yesterday's workout. It didn't take him long to eat breakfast and leave his apartment. He was meeting with Agent Dryden and PJ as soon as he could get himself to the headquarters.

Speeding through the streets of Manchester in his slick black BMW (courtesy of PJ, who has decided that Dan needed a proper car pimped out with all sorts of gadgets and technology he never even thought to use) was one of his favourite past times. Dan was lucky enough to be needed at the headquarters before the morning rush hour, therefore leaving the streets were relatively free of cars and allowing him to enjoy going above the speed limit for a while.

When he slowed down to a stop in the headquarters parking lot, it was almost full. Checking the time on his wristwatch as he got out of the car and locked it, he noticed that he was going to be exactly on time only if he picked up his pace.

He reached the ninth, second to last, floor of the headquarters just on time. When he entered, the meeting room was already occupied by PJ Liguori and Liam Dryden.

Liguori was the resident quartermaster and technology specialist. He was brilliant – brilliant but sometimes considered mad. Dan knew that he wasn't mad, he was just much more creative than an average human being. PJ was a close friend, therefore he knew a lot about him. He had trouble sleeping because of the constant stream of ideas seeping into his mind. He could spend days locked in his lab working on a project. He always achieved what he wanted in the end, or something much greater than what his mind imagined.

Liam Dryden was a man Dan spoke to a few times and even shared a drink with, but he couldn't consider being as close to the man as he was to PJ or Chris. Liam was an excellent agent who spent a lot of the time up in Scotland, working on cases there. He still had a child's mentality sometimes, being slightly obsessive over comic books and TV series while still attaining a perfect hold on professionalism when needed. He was a good laugh, might be slightly panicky and paranoid at times, but Dan couldn't deny that if he had to pick anyone to be his partner for that particular mission, it would've been Dryden.

“Hey there,” Dan said, strolling into the room and moving to stand next to Liam. PJ was hunched over his laptop once again, paying little attention to the outside world once again. Liam handed Dan a cup of hot coffee from the vending machines in greeting, which he gladly accepted. As per usual, the liquid tasted vile, the bitterness not settling well with Dan's taste buds. Nevertheless, he continued to drink it as the caffeine in it would surely come in handy.

“So what are you giving us this time?” Liam asked. He was as nervous as he was excited to start this mission. He was always like that. Absolutely terrified to get out on the field, but the second he got there – it felt like home. His fellow agents always joked that he spent more time complaining about potential injury or mistakes than he did successfully completing the mission. It was a running gag of sorts if someone was assigned to be his partner on the field.

“Nothing special, just the standard equipment this time.” PJ pushed the silver briefcase towards the agents without taking his eyes off the screen. “I don't have anything to test, besides this mission is a bit too critical for me to do so unfortunately. I'm sure both of you know how all of this works.”

Neither bothered to acknowledge PJ's words besides opening the briefcase and taking the equipment. Standard issue guns travelled to the holsters hidden under the jackets; the GPS navigation went to their pockets and the laser pens – classic and more of a mock parody of the 007 franchise than anything – were securely hidden in breast pockets too. Neither minded not having some special gadgets to play around with, both were accustomed to the standard issue and were far more confident using it rather than some fancy prototypes.

“Lester knows we're back in the game,” PJ continued, this time turning to allow the other two men to see what was happening on the laptop screen. “I've interpreted the messages he left in Russia and more recently, in various parts of England and replied accordingly. If my assumptions are correct – which they are for 97% - his first strike will be tonight.”

“Great, where are we going then?” Liam asked, his Scottish accent thick in his words.

A map of Britain appeared on the screen. PJ typed in some coordinates and it started zooming in and around Leeds. “According to the coordinates I got, this is the place you're going to.” The map stopped, the red cross pin pointing a specific location. “Leeds Castle, Kent or more specifically – their Dog Collar Museum.”

“Why the hell is Lester leading us to a Dog Collar Museum on the other side of the bloody country?” Dan questioned. It seemed stupid and ridiculous. PJ shrugged at his question.

“Beats me. It is Lester though, he's known for doing weirder things. He's supposed to strike after the Museum's closed, I've notified them so they know you're coming.” He said. “You're leaving in half an hour – you're taking the helicopter there, it will avoid the traffic. I'll contact you when you get there.”

As planned, Dan and Liam were boarding the helicopter from the rooftop of the headquarters half an hour later. Dan donned his sunglasses, as did Liam due to the sun being blindingly bright on the summer morning. The latter man seemed to alternate between shaking with paranoia of something going terribly wrong on the mission and being terribly happy about being out on the field again. Dan had to remind himself that Dryden passed all tests done by the Agency and regardless of his behaviour, he was sane. By the time that the helicopter set off, he managed to block out the man's constant chatter and concentrated on what was ahead.

~*{Principles of Righteousness}*~

It was nearing eleven o'clock at night when Dan and Liam were patrolling the Dog Collar Museum. The museum was in one of the towers of Leeds Castle; the collection of over a hundred dog collars and related items was spread throughout the four levels of the tower and hidden behind glass cases. In truth, Dan found himself slightly weirded out by the collection and did not find himself comfortable walking up and down the stairs and around the rooms surrounded by dog collars, paintings of dogs and plaques explaining the history of them all. It was like someone's obsession taken too far and then some more, squashed into a tiny space and shoved behind a glass wall to be shown off to the world.

How the museum got any visitors, Dan had no idea.

Nevertheless, he was not there to admire the 20th century or older dog accessories. There was one reason as to why he was there and one reason only – Lester. It's been four hours since the museum closed and the two agents managed to get the fretting manager out of the building. That woman and her pampered pomeranian dog would only get in the way; regardless of her opinion that they would do something to her precious collection if she didn't stay. Dan was tempted to destroy one of those bleeding collars and blame it on Lester just to spite the old lady, but he was a professional who had more important matters on his mind.

As soon as they arrived at the castle, PJ contacted them and gave them instructions to follow. Both agents had the usual ear pieces in, just in case they needed to contact each other or PJ. Currently all Dan could hear in his ear piece was Liam humming the Crash Bandicoot theme. He was patrolling the two top levels of the tower, in case Lester decided to get creative and enter through a window for some reason. Dan got the job of watching the two bottom floors. PJ was hacked into the security system, ready to notify the two agents at a moment's notice of Lester's presence in the building.

In all honestly, although the plan they had was well thought out, Dan did not expect them to be even close to catching Lester that night. He remembered what Chris said about him as well as the faint memories of the mission six years prior – the man was as bold as a lion, yet as slimy and sneaky as a serpent. It would take longer than just one night to capture the man for good. Dan wasn't doubting his or Liam's abilities, he was just being realistic when comparing them to their opponent.

A part of him was excited to face Lester. He was almost itching to meet him, to have a chance to stand against him. It was crazy, but his mind was coming up with imaginary situations of meeting Lester and taunting him. Toying with him until he grew bored and made the final strike. Captured him and bound him and shown the man who was better. Dan didn't voice his thoughts, they were kept safely locked away in his brain. No one would ever know of his fantasies. No one.

“ _Hey, how long do you think we'll have to wait for him to turn up?”_ Came the voice of Dryden from the ear piece. It snapped Dan out of his musings and back to the real world. He rolled his eyes at Liam's casual question. He sensed a bored undertone to the thick accent and wasn't surprised at all – they've been there for hours and nothing happened.

“Don't know, he might not even turn up.” Dan murmured, poking the glass that separated him from a particularly fancy dog collar. According to the plaque, it belonged to a dog that was owned by some Queen or Princess something or other from a few hundred years back.

“ _Yeah, I hope he does though. I had a date with The Amazing Spiderman tonight that I'm missing.”_ Dan chuckled when he heard the whiny groan on the other side of the ear piece. Of course Dryden would rather be at home watching the newest Spiderman movie – or Brave.

Another voice sounded in the ear piece, this time it was PJ. _“Dan there seems to be a problem with the CCTV in your area what's –,“_

Dan froze. “PJ? PJ can you hear me?” He kept saying to the ear piece. It wasn't normal for it to cut off like that, the technology hardly ever failed them like that. “Liam? Are you there?” The agent was met with silence. Something was wrong. Something was very wrong and Dan thought that he could guess why.

He remained in one place, trying to make as little noise as possible. The technology failed, but he still had his own senses to rely on. His eyes flickered as he tried to see what was happening behind him, using the glass in front of him. There was no movement. In the faint reflections that shown on the glass, Dan saw nothing that wasn't there before.

His ears detected nothing besides the faint buzz of the air conditioning system. It was relatively safe to proceed, for now. With one hand already on the gun, Dan turned slowly and quietly stepped towards the twisted staircase leading downstairs. His body was pressed against the stone walls in an attempt to hide away as much blind spots as possible. Dan was on edge, knowing fully well that although he hasn't seen him yet, Lester was in the building.

He was about half way down the staircase, now unable to see the door leading to the floor above him nor the one below. It was then that he heard a single noise – a step. A click of the soles of someone's shoes against the hard stone that was not his own. Dan froze in one place. The target was below him.

He didn't move, didn't dare to breathe loudly. His gun was pointed at the space where the stairs curved into nothingness. Lester was hiding there, Dan was sure of it. There was no doubt about it.

“I know you're there,” Dan said.

Laughter was his response, making the agent's fingers twitch on the trigger of his gun. Dan growled, wanting Lester to show himself, but he didn't dare to move himself – he didn't know if Lester was armed or not. More than likely he was and he wasn't about to risk it.

“I'm glad that the Agency understood my messages.” Chimed the voice hiding behind the corner, the end of the sentence becoming almost a pleased purr. Dan's mind flooded back to the few memories of Lester speaking six years prior and he noticed the subtle differences. There was no doubt that 'AmazingPhil' was a different person to the – dare he say it? - rebellious teenager from before.

“It was difficult not to,” Dan replied, keeping his voice level and senses on edge. “A swan with a bullet through its head along with a link to an unlisted YouTube video – coded of course – being delivered to Buckingham Palace aren't exactly what I would call subtle.”

There it was again, that laugh. “I wasn't going for subtle. However the MI5 seemed to have failed to understand me before your Agency stuck its nose where it doesn't belong.”

“They're not known for their intelligence,” Dan commented. “However I know you've planned for that. You didn't want some MI5 agents going after you – you wanted specific people.”

Dan knew it was stupid to continue the conversation. He should take Lester's momentarily distraction to attack him, however his selfish mind wanted answers out of the man first. He knew very well that Lester was only speaking because he felt relatively safe – if he was bound and imprisoned he wouldn't say a word until his dying day even if it was only to irritate them.

“Of course I have,” Lester replied cheerfully. “Why wouldn't I? I quite missed playing with you. How's Kendall doing, still playing a big boy?”

“Shame, I can't say the same Lester.” Dan said, ignoring the comment about Chris. “Why don't you show yourself?”

“I guess I could,” Lester hummed. Dan took in a breath slowly, waiting. He seemed to be doing a lot of that – waiting. They stood in silence for a while, until Dan heard footsteps. His shoulders tensed and his eyes zeroed onto the space where in a couple of seconds, Lester would appear.

He's changed. While six years ago he looked like an unkempt teenager, he was a man now. A very seductive, sexy man – Dan couldn't help but admit. Lester was leaning against the wall, his long legs crossed slightly. He was shorter than Dan, but with wider shoulders. Dressed in all black, Lester had no problem showing off his best attributes. Dark hair and pale skin with icy blue eyes staring challengingly at Dan.

“You've changed,” Lester all but purred at Dan, not taking notice of the weapon raised his way.

“I could say the same about you,” Dan noted. It seemed that not only did Lester gain things in his absence, but he also lost an eye. An eye patch hid away what Dan thought was a damaged eye. It made him wonder just what managed to cause permanent harm to the pretty much untouchable man?

Lester chuckled, his hand brushing against the thick fabric of the eye patch. He stepped towards Dan, taking no notice of the gun pointed at his chest – as if he was certain that Dan would not pull the trigger. He stopped when the gun was touching his chest, directly where the heart would be. Lester didn't even flinch, which unnerved Dan greatly.

“I'm afraid we'll have to cut the pleasantries short. We have a game to play after all,” Lester said, a smirk appearing on his face. Dan felt his stomach turn at the sight of it. His heart was working against his brain and noticing all those alluring things about Lester, making his heart skip a beat and feel sick at realising that he found Lester attractive. His enemy. “Now how about you lower that gun of yours?”

Dan didn't move.

“Now, now we're not going to get anywhere with that attitude.” Phil tutted.

“I could just shoot you right now.”

“You could, but then you wouldn't find out what my plan is,” said Phil. “A plan which is already in motion, regardless of whether I survive.”

Dan hesitated seeing the amused look that graced Lester's face. He knew that the man was most likely not bluffing and even if he was, he couldn't really take the risk. The plan could end with Lester's death, one pull of the trigger would solve all the problems they were faced with. It could also all backfire and they would be left with an unsolvable problem, no lead and a dead Queen.

Slowly, he lowered the gun. He didn't put it away, it was still ready for attack if he needed to defend himself. At the same time, Dan didn't take his eyes off Lester as if he feared that the man would pull a knife or a gun out of him at a moment's notice. It was a possibility.

“Much better,” Lester crooned. Dan scoffed at the man, who seemed beyond happy to see him comply to his wishes.

“What are you planning?”

“I would spoil all the fun if I told you now, Dan.”

Dan narrowed his eyes at the smirking Phil – who unimaginably managed to look both extremely sexy and naively playful at the same time. His body went rigid when the black haired man leaned in, wrapping his long fingers around Dan's tie. “What are you doing?” The agent asked suspiciously, adjusting his grip on the lowered gun.

“Nothing,” Lester said feigning innocence. “Just admiring.”

“Get your hands off me.”

“Why?” Lester whined childishly. “I'm having fun and you're so deliciously hot.” Curious blue eyes boldly drank the sight of Dan's body. His breath hitched as Phil ran his tongue on his teeth. What was the man planning? Certainly this act of seduction was not part of the bigger picture, was it? Not that he was enjoying being a plaything of the criminal, but he would rather think that it would give him the upper hand in the long run, rather than Lester.

“Plus, I'm sure that you're enjoying it too.” Lester continued, running his hand down the tie. “I would be if I were you.”

“Well I'm not,” Dan said stubbornly, grabbing hold of Phil's wrist. “Because I don't go for guys with criminal records. It's kind of a turn off, sorry.”

Lester laughed. He actually laughed like he was dealing with a five year old having a tantrum and it made Dan's temper heighten alarmingly quickly. He squeezed Lester's thin wrist tightly, enough to make the man wince with pain. He could snap it, easily. It wouldn't have been the first time he did it to someone. Yet, he didn't.

Dan told himself it was because he needed information from the man and having him wailing on the floor and nursing a broken wrist wouldn't work out in his favour.

“That's not the attitude of someone who wants me to tell them something,” Phil said.

It happened in a flash. Dan twisted Phil's wrist and twisted the other man's full body, slamming Lester's back into the wall. His gun fell to the windowsill next to them as Dan used his newly free hand to grab Phil's other hand. He pressed his body close to the criminal, rendering him immobile.

“Don't treat this as a joke, Lester.” Dan hissed icily, bringing his face closer to the other man's.

“Oh I know,” Phil said in return, his eyes flashing dangerously. He stuck the tip of his tongue out between his plump lips, keeping eye contact with Dan. “This is very much not a joke, but it's very much a game. A game between you and I.”

The agent found himself taken aback. “Between us?” He asked. “What about the Queen?”

Lester chuckled. “It's all part of the game. I just have more than one objective.”

“But --” Before Dan could ask more, his words were cut short.

“I'm afraid I'll have to take my leave now. It was nice seeing you, Howell.” Phil pushed all of his physical weight onto Dan, toppling the man over and gaining freedom from his grasp. A wicked smile was plastered on his face as he turned on his heel to escape.

“You're not going anywhere!” Dan yelled as he lunged towards the gun. Grabbing it, he began to shoot blindly at the leaving figure of Lester running down the stairs and towards escape. Dan jumped to his feet and chased after the man, shooting every time he saw even a glimpse of his figure.

He twisted his body at a sharp turn when he heard glass shattering in a room adjacent to the one he was occupying. Following the source of the noise, he was met with the sight of an open window, no sign of Lester and a shattered display case. Carefully stepping towards the destroyed display, he noticed that one of the fancy dog collars was missing and it it's place was a pre-written note.

_It would suit the Queen's corgis perfectly, wouldn't it? Looking forward to seeing you again, Dan <3 – AmazingPhil_

Dan cursed as he squeezed the note in his hand. “Fuck you, Lester.” He whispered.

~*{Principles of Righteousness}*~

“I said I don't want to talk about it.”

Dan found Liam knocked out cold soon after Lester escaped, explaining the man's absence. He regretted waking the Scottish agent up pretty quickly, as the man refused to stop firing questions at him ever since his head stopped spinning. The awful interrogation continued for hours as they travelled back to Manchester – with Dan refusing to answer a single question. He needed time to think on his own before he was ready to tell anyone what Lester told him.

Lester. That irritating criminal quickly became the bane of his existence. That single meeting clouded Dan's mind and his judgement enough for him to doubt his ability to continue with the mission. However, now that he knew about the game Lester was playing, he had little choice.

The note felt like a heavy weight in his pocket and the words burned as Dan thought of them. He was as angry as he was confused and strangely, aroused. He pushed _that_ to the back of his mind though. He wouldn't go there.

“Oh come on, we have to give our report anyway.” Liam said from beside him as exited the helicopter onto the Headquarters' roof.

“Later,” Dan murmured. Chris would understand. If he didn't, Dan would make him. He couldn't speak of it until he understood what happened himself. He was certainly not in the right state of mind to give a report.

As he stalked his way through and out of the Headquarters, easily avoiding everyone else, Dan made a promise to himself.

He would find Lester.

And he would bring him to justice with his own hands at all costs.


	3. Chapter 3

When he returned from Kent, Dan refused to speak to anyone and wished to be left alone with his thoughts for a while. That while turned into a day and then another – followed by one more. The last day marked it three since his reunion with Lester. The meeting left him in a mess, allowing him to slip into a self-destructive routine as he walked around in a daze.

His voice was dry and hoarse from not being used for the better part of the three days; Dan only ever muttering no more than a few syllables to himself. He didn't contact the Agency since he stormed out of the Headquarters earlier in the week and was ignoring their calls. His mobile kept vibrating for two days until it ran out of charge, allowing silence to take over the apartment.

Dan spent most of his days promptly ignoring the basic necessities his body required such as hygiene, sleep or food and spending it hunched over his laptop reading through the files on Lester that PJ sent him earlier. One could call it almost obsessive, if not more than that as he read through dozens of documents; pictures and blurry, unfocused videos. His mind out-rightly refused to think of anything but the enigma that was Phil Lester. His mission became an unhealthy fixation he couldn't get rid of.

He only managed to travel as far as his kitchen with the laptop in one hand during his time off work. That was only when he almost fell asleep while watching one of the videos and decided to make coffee in order to keep himself awake for more lengthy, sleepless hours. Dan felt filthy – unwashed and unkempt with a rough stubble on his chin and still in the now-dishevelled suit from three days prior. However, he didn't pay much attention to it as his one track mind kept his thoughts off things that were so mundane as his appearance. He couldn't allow himself to be distracted from the topic at hand.

It was the first time that Dan had so much time to think about the black haired criminal. Even six years ago when he first embarked the mission of catching him, he didn't put much thought into the actual person. Rather, he felt like his first attempt at the cat and mouse chase with Lester made him become a mindless piece of muscle that knew how to pull the trigger when told to do so. Now that he thought about it, Dan realised that he couldn't use that approach again – not only because his price wouldn't allow that; but also because he knew that it wasn't the way to go.

The scene that occurred in the staircase of the Museum was fresh in his mind, Dan replaying it so much that he almost felt like he was there again at times – hearing Lester's laugh ringing in his ears and the warm feeling of his body pressed firmly against his own. Although he tried to dissect the meeting for more clues, he found it difficult to think of anything but the other man's strange allure.

Being in solitude with only his thoughts as company was enough to make any lesser man reach his peak and break into a whirlwind slowly taking all of his sanity away. His treacherous, broken mind let his emotions take place at the forefront of his mind and let them shape and mould the theories and thoughts that came to him. Conclusions that he would have never considered if he was of a clear mind.

Yet, he continued to spiral into the depths of his mind, the conclusions forming out of his control. Because he couldn't get out of it no matter how he tried. Phil Lester occupied his thoughts just as much as he did when he pressed Dan between his firm body and the rough stone wall in the staircase. With difficulty, Dan tried to prevent himself from going down _that_ route of thought as much as he could; but even the most controlled minds had their slip ups and allowed a few moments of comprehending not how well Lester did as a criminal, but exploring the most primal instinct of appreciating how he was a rather captivating example of a man.

Dan was sat at his breakfast table, ensnared by the transcript of the video that 'AmazingPhil' put on YouTube six years ago explaining how he stole the crown jewels. He noticed very little of his surroundings, pretty much nothing besides the coffee cup next to his laptop. That is until the silence of the apartment was cut by the sound of a melody. Dan snapped out of his daze and strained his hearing to deduce the melody. It was played on piano, an instrument which he had stood in his lounge, however it wasn't a live sound. He knew enough about piano to know a live sound from a recording, and this was definitely the latter.

Slowly, he closed the laptop and stood up from his seat. The composition was familiar, he could almost feel his fingers twitching as if playing the notes on an imaginary piano. Dan approached the archway that lead from the kitchen to the lounge, pressing his back against the wall so he wasn't in the line of sight of whoever was in his apartment.

“Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.”

Dan exhaled. Of course, _of course_ it was him. “Sergei Rachmaninoff,” he muttered. “Nice choice.”

Dan closed his fist, nails digging into his palm. Taking a deep breath, he turned on his heel so he stood directly under the archway.

Dan's lounge was basked in the light of the chandelier hanging directly above the grand piano occupying majority of the room. The lounge was minimalistic, with white walls and black furniture complimenting the dark shine of the piano. It all blended into the background, allowing Dan's eyes to concentrate on the most important part of the scene: the man sat by the piano.

Phil Lester was once again dressed all in black, sat cross-legged on the plush stool and holding a phone. There was no doubt that Rachmaninoff's composition recording came from the said object. Lester seemed to be smirking to himself, one blue eye zeroed on the silhouette of Dan in the archway.

“Hello Dan,” Lester said, putting the phone away into his pocket.

“What are you doing here?” Said Dan in reply, narrowing his eyes.

The criminal rolled his eye. “What, can't I come and visit?” He pouted. “I thought we were friends.”

“Keep dreaming, you scum.” Growled Dan.

Phil's face melted into a look of a kicked puppy. “That's not a very nice thing to say.” He whined.

“Well, you're not a nice person.” Dan moved slowly into the lounge, never taking his eyes off Lester. He stopped walking when he was a mere meter away from the other man, wanting to keep at least some distance.

Phil took in Dan's appearance. He looked rough and on edge and as if it weren't for the caffeine running through his veins, he would've toppled over. It didn't escape Phil that the agent appeared to be at his most vulnerable and he wouldn't be himself if he didn't take advantage of that. A wicked glim flashed through his blue eyes as he straightened his back. It was on.

“Let's cut the chase, Dan.” Lester said, lifting himself from the stool. He closed the distance between the two of them, looking up challengingly at the significantly taller man. “We both know that I'm not here to exchange childish insults with you.”

“Oh really? Could've fooled me.” Drawled the agent, shifting himself away from Phil. Of course, that did not discourage the one-eyed man as he once again closed the space between them – looking up at Dan like a smug feline.

“Don't toy with me,” Phil grabbed Dan's chin roughly and pulled it so their faces were on level with each other – making the brown haired man hunch over. “I'm not someone who you want to mess with.”

“Neither am I,” Dan replied fiercely, wrapping his long fingers around Phil's wrist. He wasn't about to let himself be... _dominated_ by the criminal.

“How cute,” Phil smirked. “Do you really think that you would be able to do anything to me?”

“I can try.” Dan promised.

“So can I.”

Phil twisted Dan's body around and pushed him so his back was arched over the piano. It only took a second for the other man to react, however it was a reaction he did not expect from himself. His free hand travelled to Phil's black locks, tugging on the short strands as their lips connected. Both the agent and the criminal pushed their all into the kiss, fighting over control. Phil pushed his body between Dan's legs, looming over the agent.

Dan hissed as the sharp edges of the piano dug into his back. The hiss allowed Phil to slip his tongue into Dan's mouth, letting the tongue wrestle commence. It was sloppy and dirty, but oh-so passionate and rough. There were no boundaries to stop from overstepping, no hesitation – it was anything but careful and romantic.

Phil gasped for air, breaking the heated kiss. He looked down at Dan lustfully, admiring the flushed and sweaty body underneath him. It was exactly where he wanted the other man to be.

“Bastard,” Breathed out Dan.

“You know you love it,” Phil purred, kissing and biting at Dan's neck. “Look at you, all hot and bothered under me. Perfect.”

Dan tried to push Phil off himself with no success. His brain was in a haze as it was, bringing Lester's tongue into the equation didn't help at all. Instead, he settled at glaring at the other man sucking hickeys into his neck and causing uncontrollable shudders to run down his spine. His eyes fluttered close as he bit his lip to the point of bleeding as Lester discovered a particularly sensitive spot.

His nails dug into Lester's skin as he involuntarily wrapped his limbs around the other. A loud moan escaped his bleeding lips, allowing Lester to smile smugly as he continued on his adventure consisting of exploring Dan's body. He pushed one of his hands under Dan's shirt, caressing the scarred skin of his abdomen and chest.

“Get off me,” Dan muttered, trying to regain some sanity. He shouldn't be doing this, it was wrong. It was dangerous, although he didn't care about danger – he lived for it. However, it was Lester that he was becoming intimate with. That was one thing he couldn't do and yet, there he was breaking all the rules he set for himself.

“Hmm, I don't want to.” Lester said capturing Dan's lips again. He kissed him roughly before licking the blood off Dan's lips and chin. “You're so delicious after all.”

“Fuck off,” Dan pulled all of his strength and willpower and pushed Phil back enough for him to escape the space between the criminal and the piano. Phil fell back into the piano stool, startled by the sudden movement.

Dan moved to his feet again, pushing his weight on his hand and leaning heavily on the piano. He breathed heavily, scowling at the other man. Lester regained his composure, curiously watching for Dan's next move. “Stop fucking watching me,” The agent growled.

Lester hummed, sitting at the piano stool and crossing his legs again. “Hmm, something tells me that I might have taken this too far.”

“You think?!” Dan hissed, pushing his hair out of his face. “I should kill you right now.”

“But you won't. It would be too easy, too quick,” Lester replied easily. “I know you Dan, more than you think.”

“ _Shut up.”_

“You want to see me suffer at your hand. You won't kill me until you destroy me piece by piece.”

“ _ **Shut up.”**_

“You want to pick me apart and make me feel pain, don't you? You want me to pay and wont settle for a simple, clean kill. How noble of you, mister agent –“

“ _ **I SAID SHUT UP!”**_

Dan launched himself at Phil, sneering and snarling like an enraged animal. The pressure he put on himself for the past few days, on top of the lack of sleep and the situation with Lester from a few minutes ago all formed a ball inside him and exploded violently. All at once, Dan's emotions rushed to his brain and all form of logical thought was pushed out.

Lester managed to dodge the other man by mere centimetres, falling onto the floor in the process and rolling away from Dan as the other tried attacking him again. Howell threw sloppy, but powerful punches and if it weren't for his cat-like agility, Phil would be done for. He knew that he took it too far at that point and that he needed to escape – pronto.

Dan saw red with fury, unable to see or think straight and throwing punches at the criminal like a simple thug. He missed his target majority of the time, and the few times he managed to make skin-to-skin contact, it was weak. He didn't care though, he continued the assault as Lester made a run for it to the open window in Dan's bedroom.

“Get back here!” Dan screamed as Phil toppled him over onto the floor so he could gain some time and escape out of the window. Dan could hear the sound of a helicopter just outside of the window and a ladder hanging in mid-air right outside it. A growl escaped from the back of his throat as he got back on his feet and reached the window.

“Goodbye Daniel, I'll see you soon!”

Too late.

Dan slammed his fist into the nearest wall, breathing heavily as the sound of the helicopter became more distant. For the second time, Lester has escaped.

~*{Principles of Righteousness}*~

One hour and thirty-five minutes.

One hour and thirty-five minutes since Phil Lester escaped Dan's apartment and only a little bit more since the heated kiss they've shared. Dan was laid out on his bed, now that the distraction was gone, finally feeling the full extent of just how much the kiss has affected him. He has undone his clothes, most were taken off completely and left crumpled at the end of the bed.

Dan felt so hot. So extremely hot. He felt like his skin was blistering, itching for a pair of cool lips to soothe it. There was a knot formed in his abdomen and he was heavy with blood in his southern regions. His hair was plastered to his forehead with sweat, the sleeves of his undone shirt clinging to his body like second skin. He wanted to do something about it, _so badly_ , yet the idea of exactly whom made him feel so repulsed him.

He knew that it just wouldn't go away if he ignored it. Or it would, but not for long. Soon enough his body would be brought back to a worse state and he would have to deal with it.

Hesitantly, he moved his hand down his chest and abdomen, reaching his thick erection. He was naked from the waist down, allowing his hand to be met with no resistance. He wrapped his long fingers around his cock, which was already seeping with pre-cum.

Dan's mind flooded back to the feeling of Lester's hands roaming his body and his hot tongue exploding his mouth, because dammit he couldn't help it. Although the man brought out the worst in him, he also stirred something within Dan. He bit his lip as he stroked his length, imagining it being Phil's hand that was touching him.

He hated himself for it, but his instincts were stronger than him. A fantasy played out before his eyes, of Phil kneeling between his legs with Dan's cock in his mouth and hand, blazing blue eyes staring lustfully at him. Dan bit back a moan, his eyes fluttering as he picked up the pace as he stroked his member, the tightness in his stomach becoming more and more.

His breath hitched, his back arching as the vision of Phil whispering dirty nothings into his ears overtook his senses. The thought of the pale man – naked, with reddened cheeks and knees and staring at him in a mix of feigned innocence and want – made Dan weak and sent him over the edge. It wasn't long before his bedroom fantasies brought him to the point of cumming, his semen releasing into his hand while the ghost of Lester's name was on Dan's lips.

The agent felt a weight fall off him, pushing the concern about his actions to the back of his mind. All his muscles relaxed and he felt at ease. Dan opened his eyes slowly, letting go off his visions and falling back into reality. He needed to get cleaned up.

Dan crawled out of his bed, wiping the cum that was still on his hand into the shirt that he now took off. It needed washing anyway. Completely naked, he walked out of his bedroom and through the corridor to the bathroom. His apartment had many luxuries, however an en-suite bathroom was sadly not one of them. Not that it mattered much, Dan lived alone after all.

“Oh _gross._ ”

Dan turned on his heel in alarm, only to see the familiar face of Agent Dryden standing in the doorway to the kitchen and lounge.

“Honestly man, cover yourself up. I so don't need to see that.” The Scottish man groaned, hiding his eyes behind his hands.

“What are you doing here?” Dan asked in return, ignoring the fact that he was standing with nothing to hide his decency in front of his fellow agent.

“Chris asked me to drag your arse to the Headquarters. He's really pissed off with you, you know.” Liam said, turning around and leaning on the door facing away from Dan's naked form. “Now seriously, get ready because while you were moping about, PJ found some new things out that you might be interested in knowing.”

Dan's heart skipped a beat. The time-out was over.


	4. Chapter 4

When half an hour later Dan emerged from the bathroom, there was a towel wrapped around his hips for which Liam was thankful for. Although there was no denying that Dan was a very attractive man, Liam was never a fan of seeing any male genitalia besides his own. A short while later, Dan was dressed in a fresh suit and looking better than the mess the other agent originally found him in.

Dan's mood was still foul, but the fact that there were new developments regarding the mission distracted him from his jumbled up emotions. Work always managed to come to the forefront of his mind and keep it off anything that troubled him. It was unhealthy, but the only way he knew how to deal with things so he never tried to change it.

Liam insisted on driving, which didn't settle well with Dan, but after he pointed out that Dan hardly slept or ate for the past few days and was certainly not functioning well enough to be driving anywhere, Dan gave in. Sat in the passenger seat of Liam's car, Dan fumed silently while trying to block out the sound of the other agent singing along loudly to the songs on the radio.

“That's not the way to the Headquarters.” Dan said flatly when he noticed that Liam pulled out of the apartment building's car park to go to the opposite side of Manchester. Immediately, he became suspicious, one hand already resting where his gun was hid. Liam may be a fellow agent and someone he should trust, but Dan's training made him feel immediately on edge.

“When you were getting ready, I got a call off PJ. He wanted us to meet him at the MRI instead.” Liam replied, not taking his eyes off the road. “Chris was meant to tell me earlier, but he was busy ranting at you.”

That relaxed Dan a little. He was still not over his suspicions, but then again when was he? As an agent he didn't trust anyone fully, well maybe Chris, but that took a multitude of years to achieve. He stayed silent for the rest of the ride, keeping his eyes on where they were going.

Liam pulled into a car park at the Manchester Royal Infirmary. Dan wondered why they were there, although it was the usual place where injured agents went if their injuries were too extensive for Doctor Fletcher to deal with. It worried Dan, because generally only those in critical, life-threatening conditions ended up there. Why did PJ ask them to meet there?

“Come on,” Dan trailed after Liam as he lead him through the hospital. They passed the reception area without as much as a word and stalked through the corridors of the hospital. Dan hated hospitals – they reeked of death, cleaning products and medication. It made his stomach turn to see so many sick people in one place and to see their families hunched over them with tears in their eyes. He tried not to look anywhere but the back of Liam's head as they walked, only looking away when he saw the sign announcing the High Dependency Unit.

PJ was sat in one of the plastic chairs near the middle of the painfully sterile corridor, wearing one of those one-use hospital gowns that visitors were sometimes asked to wear. He looked deep in thought, staring off into space with a determined look in his eye. His phone was grasped tightly in his hand, looking like it was ready to snap. He didn't look up when Liam and Dan reached him.

“I've got him,” Liam murmured, tapping PJ on the shoulder. The man stopped looking blankly into the wall and turned his attention to the two new arrivals. Dan felt judged when PJ's gaze turned to him, but he tried to shake the feeling off.

“Finally,” PJ stood up, putting his phone in his pocket. “Good to see you stopped moping around Dan.”

Dan grunted, displeased. “No time for this, PJ.”

“You're right, because you've wasted three days already.” The Quartermaster snapped back.

“Hey, hey – guys, come on.” Liam stepped between them. “We're in a hospital and we've got a job to do. So how about we do it rather than get our knickers in a twist?”

PJ huffed, sending Dan another look before turning away to walk towards one of the patient rooms. It had a large window next to the door, which showed a young man in the blindingly white room. He looked heavily beat up, bandaged nearly from the top of his head all the way down to his feet. The little skin that was shown was swollen and marred with black and blue bruises. He was connected to a dozen machines all of which were measuring a thousand different things. Dan couldn't recognise him, if only because his body was so badly injured and covered.

“Who is he?” Dan whispered. The sight brought back memories of when he saw Chris in the same situation months back, only alive because of the machines he was connected to. A lump formed in his throat and Dan started to feel unwell – whether it was because of his hazardous lifestyle for the past few days or the memories that were brought back, he did not know.

“Agent Lewis Parker.” PJ replied. Dan never heard that name, he must've been new – maybe barely out of training. “A new agent, he only got out of training a few months back. His mission was to spy on Alex Day.”

His suspicions were proven correct. Parker was new – which is why Dan thought that it was completely stupid to send him to spy on Alex Day of all people. Alex Day, known as Nerimon in the criminal circles was someone you went to if you wanted information. He was a force to be reckoned with, having people everywhere. He quite literally, knew everything. If you wanted some dirt on someone, you went to him. He was someone even Dan or Chris would be weary of when dealing with him, nevermind a green agent straight out of training such as Lewis Parker.

“Who's decision was that? Because it's stupid.” Dan said. “Parker was nowhere near ready to face Day, even undercover. Look where it got him.” Dan wasn't sure whether he was more upset or angry, but his emotions were pushed on edge and exploded within him.

“We needed an inside man and Day knew all of our agents. A seasoned agent wouldn't cut it. Parker was talented, got some of the best marks in training that I've seen in ages. We needed a fresh face and he was our only choice.” PJ replied.

“There's always a different choice. Obviously he wasn't as talented as you thought, otherwise he wouldn't be here right now. What does this have to do with anything anyway?”Dan was angry and bitter and wanted nothing more but to shoot Day – and Lester – between the eyes. Usually he would face situations such as this with a clear head and not be as snappy towards everything that spoke, but the whole situation with Lester made him tense and restless and Day gravely injuring a fellow agent...it was too much even for the most stoic person in the world to remain calm.

“He lasted two months undercover. It was going well until two days ago. Somehow, Day found out. We managed to get Parker out, but not before this happened.” PJ near-whispered, pained eyes never leaving the feeble body of Lewis. “Before he got caught, he managed to get one last thing from Day that will interest you.”

“What is it?” Good, at least the boy's loss of health wouldn't go to waste.

“He got a recording out of Day's archive.” PJ said. “It was a vinyl record of a Lady Gaga EP. Well, that's what I thought at first – but it had a hidden message.”

“There was a hidden message in a Lady Gaga song? Talk about being deep with music...” Dryden murmured.

PJ shot Liam a look. “The vinyl had an encrypted voice recording. I haven't seen this method being used for years, it started out during the World War II and now we digitally encode stuff – it's easier and harder to decode. I'm surprised Nerimon used it, although then again hardly anyone would've thought to try that technique nowadays. And get this, it was a recording of a conversation between Day and Lester.”

_Of course._ Why was Dan not surprised? Lester was planning to kill the Queen and goodness knows what else, he would need Day's connections. It was a rule that if there was anything big and bad going on, you could bet on Day dabbing his slimy fingers in it or at least knowing about it.

“What did it say?”

PJ took out his phone and a pair of earphones. He plugged those in, handing one earphone to Dan and one to Liam. A few seconds of fumbling later, in his right ear Dan heard it.

The recording started with the distinct sound of laughter – he recognised it as Lester's and Day's. It quieted down when the voices started.

_'Come on Phil, what do you need that for?'_ Nerimon, obviously. Dan could never forget the loud, mocking tones of the man.

_'I have my plans, Alex. Now, will you be able to get it?'_ Phil's baritone voice sounded in his ear. Dan tried not to think too much about it and concentrate on the recording.

_'For a price, yes. You know how it is, I need to live off something. I still wonder why do you need this anyway...'_

_'Don't loose sleep over this, Day. Now, the usual price?'_

_'Make that double and you'll have a deal.'_

_'Come on, that's a bit too much don't you think?'_

_'You're asking me to get confidential information from The Agency about one of their agents. That's not as easy as it seems, I need to pay some people off to do this. It's either double or you can do it yourself.'_

_'Fine'_ Lester's voice sounded after a moment of thought. _'As long as I get those files on Howell soon. I hope you haven't forgotten about the first part of our deal, am I right?'_

_'Right, right. I'll get those files for you in a week. And yeah, I haven't forgotten, don't you worry. Westminster Station right?'_

_'11 o'clock, on 17th April. Don't forget'_

The recording finished. The two agents handed the earphones back to the Quartermaster. It was quiet for a while, before Liam broke the silence.

“This doesn't seem right.”

“No it doesn't.” Dan agreed. “It almost feels...”

“Staged? Yeah that's what we thought.” PJ finished. “Nonetheless, it's a lead. It's probably a trap, so we'll have to be more cautious than usual, but it's all we've got right now. It's a week away, so we have time to prepare.”

Dan nodded. It was enough time for him to sort himself out again and prepare to face Lester, if he didn't come to seek him out earlier.

“By the way, any idea why Lester was researching Dan?” Liam pointed out. “Also, does this mean that we have a leak in information?”

“Unfortunately, yes. I'm working on finding out who's responsible.” PJ's mood turned sour within seconds. Whenever his security systems were threatened, he didn't become a happy man – and it was one of those times. “Do you know why he wanted your files, Dan?”

His only response was a shrug.

~*{Principles of Righteousness}*~

“I already told you, I don't know!”

“How can I be sure?! You've fallen off the face of the earth for the past few days without as much as a word!”

The dreaded confrontation with Chris finally came. After the situation at the MRI, Dan along with PJ and Liam went back to the Headquarters. They went up to Chris' office together, but the minute that they saw Chris' angry face, PJ and Liam retreated rather quickly – leaving Dan alone to face his wrath. Of course, Dan wasn't in a mood to patiently deal with Chris either, so a rather spectacular shouting match occurred.

Things were thrown, not only insults but also actual objects and Dan was forced to duck as Chris hauled his stapler at his head. Eventually, the two became weary and their anger lessened now that they took it out on each other. They fell into their respective arm chairs, flushed with anger and breathing heavily.

“Good to have you back Howell.” Chris grinned. “Don't do this again or I'll kick your arse so hard your mother will feel it.”

“Don't bring my mother into this, Kendall.” Dan retorted. “I make no promises though.”

“So did you actually discover something during your 'break'?”

“Besides the fact that I now can tell you everything we had in our files about Lester off by heart? No.”

Dan knew that he shouldn't be lying to Chris. But his encounter with Lester...it felt too personal to say. Besides, how would he phrase it anyway? Lester broke into my apartment, taunted me and left me sexually frustrated so much I had to wank over him? There was nothing that was relevant to their case, besides Lester knowing where Dan lives (which was explained by Nerimon getting him Dan's files) and even that wasn't too important. It wasn't as if he was hiding Lester's hiding place. Although his excuse about not saying anything still didn't settle well with his stomach and left him feeling guilty.

“Well, get back to work then. We need you and Dryden in top condition by next week. I have a feeling that something will go down in Westminster and it will not end well for us if we don't come prepared.” Chris finally said, shooing Dan out of his office. “Off you go, love.”

“Fuck off, Chris.” Dan said in farewell, laughing as he high-tailed it out of the office as Chris launched a calendar after him.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for the length of this chapter and for how long you had to wait for it to come out. It's mostly used as something to get the actual plot moving, so in future the chapters will be longer (and hopefully be out quicker, depending on how my exams and other projects go) as more will be happening in them.  
> Nevertheless, please enjoy. Also, Lewis Parker is an actual YouTuber (fairly small in comparison to Dan or Phil, but still I enjoy his videos) so go check out [his channel](http://www.youtube.com/user/iLewis95) maybe? Also Lewis, if you're reading this, sorry c:


	5. Chapter 5

Mingling through the swarming crowds at Westminster Station was the easy part of the job. Between the busy-bodies that were rushing around the station at ten to eleven in the morning, it was easy to slide past as if one was just another nameless face in the sea of people. It was exactly what Dan and Liam were doing – wandering the station as if they weren't on a mission. Dryden was near the coffee vending machines, masquerading as a simple tourist behind a horrid and overly cliché 'I <3 London' t-shirt he produced from somewhere; while Dan was acting as a businessman, wearing an auburn wig and shades to hide his eyes.

Liam was pretending to be reading a guide to visiting London while in reality was just scanning the surroundings for any sights of Day or Lester from under his ridiculously tacky sunglasses that could be obtained from a gift shop. From his earpiece he could hear PJ muttering things to himself about the monitoring system and short reports from Dan about whether Lester was in his line of sight. So far, no one caught a glimpse of the black haired criminal or his brunette companion.

 _'Anything on your end Liam?'_ Rang Chris' voice in Liam's earpiece. Chris – after the past mission and Dan's little 'vacation'; the boss himself has decided to have more of a hands on approach with it. Especially since it was more than likely to be a trap. Doctor Fletcher was less than happy, but as long as he was being careful, she allowed him to go as back up.

“Nope, nothing here,” Liam replied, moving from his space near the vending machines. “I'm moving towards the Ticket Offices, what's going on at the platforms Dan?”

 _'I see nothing so far,'_ Muttered Dan. _'How long until the meeting?'_

“Three minutes,” Liam said while checking his watch. “Say, do you think they'll even turn up?”

 _'If it's a trap like we suspect, definitely. If it's not a trap – which I doubt – and they found out we knew, well, we might as well leave now.'_ Chris said.

Dan grunted as he leaned against the wall running down the length of one of the platforms. He got the job of wandering the platforms while Chris and Liam kept the upstairs clear. PJ was doing a much better job than they did, monitoring the CCTV system and therefore the whole place at once. It was like a thousand eyes everywhere rather than just three pairs of them.

He looked at his watch, noticing that it was only a minute until Phil and Nerimon were supposed to show up. Dan was honest with himself, he wasn't prepared to face Lester. It has been nearly a week since their last meeting and although it did go relatively smoothly, Dan found himself forming the wrong type emotions towards the criminal. There was still bad blood between them, there was no doubt about that – but conflicting feelings appeared too. He yearned to see Phil again, to feel his touch on his skin; but what was the good in that if the next thing he would want to do is shoot a bullet through his heart?

“I hope you're not lazying about Liam, it's show time.” Dan said to the microphone, stopping his leaning against the wall and moving towards the other platforms just as a train pulled in. Suddenly hundreds of people appeared and pushed through towards the exit. Dan found himself being pushed and shoved through the crowd and unable to see much besides the back of the people's heads as they forced their way next to him. He elbowed a few as he tried to gain control as to where he was moving again and pushed himself against one of the pillars at the platform a few meters away from the exit and with a decent view of it. From there, he could safely observe again.

“Liam, can you hear me?” Dan repeated into the microphone. He heard Liam's and Chris' voices, but they seemed to be ignoring what he was saying or not being able to hear it. Frowning, Dan took the earpiece out and tried to look for faults – it looked fine. “Chris?” He tried again, and once again was met with ignorance.

“They can't hear you,” Said a voice from behind the pillar which Dan knew all too well.

Dan paused, leaning back onto the pillar and subsequently an old poster banning smoking on the station. Doing the same trick twice, it was surprising that it worked. Smirking, he put the earpiece back into his ear. “I suppose you've done something to the CCTV too?”

“You could say so.”

He laughed bitterly. “We were right that this was a trap after all,” Dan said. He didn't bother walking around the pillar – he knew exactly who was on the other side. “But what do you want?”

“The original plan included stealing you away, but it has changed last minute.”

“How come? You two were researching files about me – why?” Dan asked.

“That's for me to know, Howell.” He said. “We've decided on a different approach for now.”

Dan hummed, leaning his head back in thought. He knew the original objective, but that mattered little when there was a new plan under way. It would be difficult to get the new plan out of him. Difficult, but doable if he played his cards right. One wrong step and he would run off like a frightened deer, leaving Dan with nothing.

“If you originally wanted me and you're still here, I suppose that you're trying to keep me away from somewhere else?” Dan asked carefully.

He was met with a laugh – loud, honest and almost obnoxious. It irritated his ears as he knew it signified that he was right. He was being stalled, kept away from the bigger picture. He wondered what were the chances that he could get away on time. The tiny speaker sitting in his ear spoke no words in Chris', Liam's or PJ's familiar voices – they were replaced by a low buzz of white noise. Most likely, they were faced with henchmen or the other half of the criminal duo and Dan had to get to them – wherever they've been chased off to. Although the mission was important, leaving his partners vulnerable to danger and not helping them out did not settle well with Dan.

Dan considered his chances. They knew what he looked like, regardless of his disguise. He might as well get rid of the shades and wig as they were proven useless. Now, he had to escape and head up – somewhere in the general direction of Chris or Liam's previous whereabouts. It wouldn't be easy and very risky. It was likely that his little bodyguard had a gun and definitely knew how to use it. If he tried to run blindly into the crowd, he was risking the public's safety – as well as his. A shot in the arm or leg could slow him down, but if he got hit in the chest he was definitely not going anywhere. In a tightened, busy space the chances were that he would aim for the chest.

He had a gun too, as well as a few other gadgets. However, he didn't want to fire unless it was absolutely necessary – it wasn't in his intentions to have some innocent bystander get hurt in the crossfire. Dan cursed, he always felt too guilty to start a fire. He didn't want to see any civilians get hurt. If he was more ruthless in that, his enemies would be dead with a bullet through the temple by now.

Yet, he saw no other choice but to run. Distract his enemy momentarily and then bolt for it. He shot a guilty look at the crowd surrounding him, he hoped that they won't get seriously hurt. Slowly, he took out his gun, careful not to make too much noise.

“So how long do you have to keep me here?” Dan tried to keep the conversation going in hope that it will buy him some time before the other man notices what was going on.

“As long as it takes,” The mocking voice replied. The agent took a step sideways towards the other side of the pillar, holding the gun in his hand tightly. He looked over to see the profile side of the other man, leaning against the pillar like he was doing himself moments ago. He looked cocky and relaxed – as always full of himself and his opinions. Surprisingly he wasn't sporting his usual ridiculously extravagant wardrobe of weird patterns and strange material combinations or his fur coat – he donned rather muted and normal colours now.

Dan didn't ponder in it too long before making his move.

“Day?”

Nerimon didn't have time to respond as Dan grabbed him by the arm, knocking the gun out of the criminal's hand with his elbow, which went skidding across the tiled floor. Not hesitating for even a second, knowing that he was working on limited time limit, Dan went for the places that he knew would cause the most pain and damage. His knee launched itself between Day's legs, shooting pain through the man's groin and forcing him to fall to his knees. The agent twisted Nermion's arm so the other was laid on the floor in pain and jammed his gun into Day's temple. Successfully knocking him out, Dan let go of his arm, allowing it to fall limp next to his body.

Not waiting for Nermion to wake up, Dan twisted his body and ran through the crowd towards the stairs. He needed to get back to where Liam and Chris were immediately.

After pushing his way up the stairs, he was finally back on the upstairs level of the station. He felt panicked, as he couldn't rely on PJ informing him of his partners' locations through the CCTV. Dan would have to use other means to find out where to go.

Luckily for him, it didn't take long for him to see a sign of Liam and Chris' current whereabouts.

Screams pierced the air as the crowd ran past Dan toward his right – meaning that what he was looking for was in the opposite direction. He twisted his body and ran, hoping that he didn't arrive too late.

He was greeted with a sight that made his stomach turn and heart beat faster than a drum.

The mass of civilians were running far from his destination, leaving the part of the station he was at deserted sans for a few people – the ones he was looking for. The grip on his gun tightened as he saw the state his fellow agents were in.

Clearly in pain, Liam was kneeling on the tiles with his right leg bleeding heavily – most likely a shot wound. His left arm was pushed against his chest tightly, staining the white t-shirt he was wearing as blood was seeping from the wounds on his crushed hand and from his mouth. It was obvious that Liam was useless by that point, from his expressions he could barely stay conscious, never mind fight.

Dan's worry and anger intensified when he laid hie eyes on the other two remaining people: Chris...and Lester. The criminal that had a knack for making Dan feel things he shouldn't loomed over the boss of the Agency as the said man cradled a seemingly broken arm and tried not to pass out from the strong hand of the one-eyed man having a grip on his neck. Chris' guns were many meters away from him, there was no way that he could break free from Lester's grip to retaliate.

Lester looked up from where he was murmuring something to Chris and his grin widened when he saw Dan.

“Look who it is,” Phil Lester said, dropping the grip he held on Chris, which allowed the agent to slump to the floor gasping for air. Pushing him out of the way with his foot, incidentally kicking him in the stomach to add to Chris' pain, Lester moved forward towards Dan. “I'm surprised it took you this long to get away from Alex.”

Dan said nothing, staring unblinkingly at the other man.

From the sidelines, Liam could do nothing. He was rendered useless by Lester after he tried to shoot the man when he was turned the other way. Not the smartest of his ideas, but whatever. He tried. Now he was facing mind-numbing pain as his vision blurred. And that ringing in his ears _which just wont stop_.

Hissing, which resulted in blood spluttering from his mouth in such a grandeur fashion; Liam tried to narrow his eyes in an attempt to see slightly clearer. The blurred outlines of Lester and Howell moved closer together – well, Lester was moving and Howell was just stood still as if someone hit him with a _Petrificus Totalus_. He wondered why Dan wasn't moving – he had the perfect opportunity to attack.

 _Come on Dan,_ Liam thought, hoping that whatever was going on with the other agent, he would snap out of it.

The blur that was Lester was now mere centimetres from Dan. For a second, Liam's vision became slightly better momentarily – although he didn't know whether that was a good thing. What he saw was Lester's pale hand holding the brown haired agent's chin and their faces leaning so close together that he could've sworn they were kissing.

Which couldn't be true, and Liam later put it under a hallucination due to blood loss as seconds later Dan attacked; pouncing like a wild animal in a flurry of fists. Watching them made Liam even more light headed. He heard an unclear exchange of words between them, dulled by the ringing in his ears.

He closed his eyes for what seemed like a mere second. Upon opening them, his heart froze.

The limp body of Dan Howell was falling to the floor as Lester released his shoulders from his iron grip as he said something that Liam could not hear.

It didn't take long for Liam to follow Dan's queue. Darkness overcame him and the last thing he swore he saw was Lester looking at him like he wanted him to remember every detail of the scene he just witnessed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for the ridiculously long wait, but I have no excuse besides saying that I was extremely busy. The next few chapters should be out quicker though as we're nearing the end.
> 
> Next chapter teaser: Dan's view on the fight, what Phil talked about and a few surprises from Lester :)


	6. Chapter 6

Dan woke up to a bright white, sterile room and a thundering headache. There was a pulsating pain in his temples and his vision was blurry at best, yet he still tried to sit up. It only made matters worse and his body almost gave out under him. He hated it, he hated feeling fragile – he wasn't made of glass and certainly didn't want to feel like it.

“Dan lay back down immediately.” Came a nice, yet stern voice. Female. It came coupled with a fair hand grabbing him by the shoulder and pushing him back onto the fluffed up pillows. “You're technically healthy, but your body needs time to readjust.”

The Agent groaned quietly as clarity came back to his vision. Looming over him, dressed in her white lab coat and with her blonde curls pulled back into a bun, was Doctor Fletcher. She looked tired, with dark circles under her eyes and lack of her usual glow. It was obvious that she had little sleep, if any – and now that Dan could actually see properly (the headache was still there, however he could mostly ignore it) he could see why that was.

Although Dan felt like he just got run over, it didn't measure up to what the other patient in the room must've felt like. To his right, there was another bed and in it, Liam.

You could hardly see it was him though, as bandages with blood seeping through them in places covered his body. Fresh bruises and shallow cuts covered the skin that wasn't wrapped in bandages. Liam looked like he would be bedridden and connected to the IV drip for a long time. It hurt to see him like that, in a state so much worse than Dan's own.

It wasn't fair, because Dan felt like it was all his fault. If he was faster in getting away – if they knew for sure it was a trap. He could've went on his own. It would've been him laid there, not Liam. Liam would've been alright, healthy and able to act like his normal self – talking at a thousand miles an hour about some game or other. If it weren't for Dan.

Dan felt like someone shoved a knife through his heart, clenching his fists and trying to swallow the lump that appeared in throat.

Doctor Fletcher followed his gaze, her eyes softening when they laid upon Liam. “We've put him in an induced coma until he heals a bit more.” She said. “He's stable though.”

Dan's stomach turned.

“What did Lester do to him?”

Doctor Fletcher sighed. “Dan, I'm not going to tell you. One, you're not cleared to know and two, it's not going to help the matters.”

He didn't reply. For a long while, he just stared blankly at the unmoving form of the other agent. He could only see his chest rising up and down slowly – almost peacefully. Such a contrast to the beaten up state he was in. Eventually, Dan found his voice again. “How long have I been out?”

“A day. You only had minor injuries besides a trace of propofol and lidocaine in your body. I presume that was what knocked you out. The worst was when we got to you at the start. After that, it was a breeze to patch you up.” Doctor Fletcher replied, smoothing out the white duvet by Dan's torso and checking his heart rate monitor.

“What do you mean?” Dan questioned, suspicious of her words.

“A rapid injection of propofol tends to make a person stop breathing. You weren't an exception.”

He paused, looking at the curly haired Doctor.

“I was dead?” He asked in horror.

Doctor Fletcher looked at him, sighed and rolled her eyes. “No, you weren't dead.” She said curtly. “You stopped breathing, but your internal organs did not stop. We managed to get to you in time to prevent that, luckily Liam...managed to call for backup as soon as he realised what was going on.”

Dan glanced sideways at the other man, once again feeling guilty. He saved his life. Dan could've been dead if it weren't for Liam.

“We're releasing you tonight, PJ will come in to get details as to what happened in a few hours before you go.” Doctor Fletcher said, giving a last check to the machines both Dan and Liam were connected to and turning towards the door.

“Why not Chris?” It was usually Chris who did that.

The Doctor's lips thinned as she looked away from Dan. “I'll let PJ explain,” She said hurriedly and left the room before Dan could call after her.

~*{Principles of Righteousness}*~

“ _Look who it is,” Phil Lester said, dropping the grip he held on Chris, which allowed the agent to slump to the floor gasping for air. Pushing him out of the way with his foot, incidentally kicking him in the stomach to add to Chris' pain, Lester moved forward towards Dan. “I'm surprised it took you this long to get away from Alex.”_

_Dan said nothing, staring unblinkingly at the other man._

“ _I mean, you're definitely capable of getting here faster,” Lester all but purred as he stepped closer. “So what kept you away so long?”_

_He was now so close to Dan that he latter could feel his hot breath on his face. He went rigid, refusing to move. He wasn't about to let Lester one-up on him by giving him the desired reaction. Emotions boiled within him that he wanted to express, however he stopped himself as he knew that was exactly what Phil wanted._

“ _Maybe...” Lester grinned wickedly, running a long finger up Dan's chest, right up to his chin. He grabbed hold of it tenderly, pushing it down slightly so he could see eye to eye with Dan. “...you were scared?”_

_The Agent's breath hitched, suddenly the skin on his chin feeling hot and tingly where Lester was touching him. He wanted to say something so bad, to prove Lester wrong – he was not scared. No, not of Lester. Never of Lester._

_Of himself? Maybe._

“ _Little Daniel, scared of his own shadow.” Lester mocked. “Isn't this sweet, you're not even trying to oppose me anymore. How about you drop that little gun of yours?”_

_Of course the sight of Lester made him forget about the gun in his hand. Why did the man always make him forget about what's important?_

_Phil leaned in closer, Dan still not trusting himself to move. Especially with Chris and Liam there. No, he could not allow a repeat of last time. Phil cocked his head to the side, looking challengingly at the gun held limply in Dan's hand with an eyebrow raised in question._

_Not moving a muscle on his face to show his current emotional affair, Dan dropped the gun with a sinking feeling in his stomach. He felt like putty in Lester's wicked hands. It was like he could force him to do anything and it didn't settle well with Dan._

_Lester smirked again triumphantly._

“ _Or perhaps you're not scared of me – perhaps you just don't want me to stop.”_

_It was like someone injected him with adrenaline. A shiver ran down his spine, his skin feverish. All of sudden he became overwhelmed by the musky smell and Lester's cologne, and the rough texture of his lips. His brain went hazy for a second, allowing a moment of basking in a moment of pure bliss – although deep inside he knew that this was exactly what he wanted to avoid._

_Dan couldn't help it – his body moved on his own. Chest leaning into Lester's. Lips responding to the blue eyed man's touch as if he was a piper and his lips the magic pipe to lure Dan away from his senses. Nothing mattered because for that mere few seconds, Dan felt like his whole world was just Phil Lester._

_Per contra, the whole world was not just Phil Lester or his killer touch and eyes the colour of the winter sky; cold, crisp, piercing. No – it was bigger and angrier; like a summer forest fire. Wild and uncontrollable like passion, yet instead of making him want more, the world made him want it less. It wouldn't let Dan forget about it for long, no it came flooding back at rapid speeds and reality hit him hard._

_He felt dirty. Wrong. What was once beauty became disfigured within a split second. The fact that the action he was performing was perverse came to realisation and Dan knew it wasn't what he was supposed to do. His mind battled his heart for the control of his body. His sick, deviant emotions should not be playing part in this. There was a bigger picture to everything and his feelings should be accounted for, however not acted upon._

_With both his hands, he pushed Lester away from him and breaking their moment of intimacy. Dan felt like his senses were set ablaze, everything becoming clearer and sharper. Whilst Lester was still in a moment of shock, the brown haired agent took it as his time to attack. He went in for a punch, which missed the jaw and connected with the shoulder – further pushing Phil aback._

_The criminal mastermind didn't take too much time to respond._

_Lester wasn't proficient in fancy martial arts or any fighting techniques taught in schools, dojos or some shit like that. The way he fought was simple – do whatever works. He didn't fight fair. He didn't wait for his opponent to fight back. Quick, efficient – that's what he went for._

_Lester's knowledge was from personal experience – from times where he needed to learnt to fight back fast or he'd be dead meat. Take advantage of your opponent, pull cheap tricks if needed. Means to an end. He wasn't coordinated, he wasn't elegant like a ballerina. But he knew how to punch the living daylights out of someone or keep them busy for long enough to pull out a knife and stick it between their shoulder blades._

_While Dan was going in for another punch, Lester went in for the shins with a kick._

_It struck, disorienting the agent for long enough so Phil could strike his stomach. Gasping, Dan doubled over, but wasn't about to give up yet. As soon as Phil got close he launched himself at him and thrust them both onto the floor._

_They skidded back a fair few meters, Phil's head hitting the tiles hard. The impact knocked air out of his lungs and almost knocked him out cold too. Luckily, he managed to stay conscious._

_Dan immediately searched Phil's jacket for a gun, his own out of reach. A hand clasped on his wrist just as he touched it. Lester was physically stronger than him and that was Dan's downfall. His body was not built for such close combat. It was a child's play for Phil to restrain his wrists._

_Yet the fact still remained that Dan was sat on Phil's hips, restricting his movement. He couldn't stand up, he couldn't even sit up. And Dan was not planning on moving any time soon._

“ _Move,” Phil growled, his vision slightly hazy and speech slurred from hitting the floor with his head. “Now.”_

_When Dan didn't, Phil grunted and thrust his hips as hard as he could. It wasn't a very eloquent or common thing to do during a fight, but he had to get out from between Dan's legs._

_It took the Agent by surprise and he lost a lot of the force he was pinning the other man with, resulting with it being easier for Lester to roll him over and reverse their positions._

“ _I don't have time for this anymore, Dan” Phil mumbled, his face no longer playful but hard and cruel. He grabbed Dan by the throat as he stood up and pulled him up with him. He could strange him at that moment, crush his windpipe. Dan was once again vulnerable and at his mercy. Just how he liked him. This was not a time for games though, he was running out of time for the time being. Playtime was over._

_Still holding Dan's throat in an iron grip, Phil took out a syringe from a hidden pocket. Taking it out of the safety plastic, he aimed it at Dan's arm. Smiling softly, he pecked Dan's nose as he jammed the needle into his arm and injected the liquid._

“ _I'll see you around sweetheart,”_

_Pain shot through Dan's arm as his world went black._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised surprises from Lester, but they're coming in the next chapter or this one would've been too long. Stay tuned and let me know what you think :)   
> Also new banner right up there! I drew it a while back and posted it on my art blog liguoriliscious to promote the fic :) Hope you guys like it.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay just a warning: smut, smut, smut. Finally. About 90% of this chapter is smut or stuff leading up to it. Have fun children.

Neither Dan nor PJ wanted to break the silence when the latter arrived in the hospital room. The Quartermaster pulled up a chair by Dan's bed, folded his hands in his lap and kept his eyes everywhere but looking at the Agent. His shoulders were tense and it was obvious that he was burdened with something.

Dan watched him with patience, which unfortunately was wearing thin. He was restless, wanting nothing more but to find out where were they standing and to get out of the hospital. Although something told him that he wouldn't like the news – which resulted in his silence.

PJ drummed his fingers in his lap, glancing at Dan and sighing. “We need to get this over and done with.” He said finally.

Dan hummed in agreement, allowing his eyes to settle on the Quartermaster's form. “What did I miss?”

“Well,” PJ started, “Both Lester and Day managed to escape. I presume you already know about Dryden's condition and the propofol.”

“I gathered that much. What about Chris?”

PJ visibly flinched at the mention of their boss. He opened his mouth, but paused momentarily before speaking up again. “We don't know.”

“What do you mean you don't know?” Dan demanded, sitting up in his bed. “Where is he?”

“Like I said, we don't know. When we got to the scene we found you and Dryden. Chris wasn't there with you.” The other man snapped, standing up. “You're going to be released in an hour. I expect you back at the Headquarters tomorrow morning. No excuses.”

As PJ left the room, clearly broken at the thought of Chris being god knows where. He didn't know whether he was even alive. Dan's heart sank as the door to the hospital room slammed shut.

~*~

Upon returning to his apartment, Dan immediately knew something was wrong. There was an odd feeling in the air that he couldn't shake off.

Slowly Dan put his bag down by the door and swiftly moved against the wall. He was on edge, quietly creeping further into the apartment. He cursed that PJ never gave back his gun and other weapons and that Dan's personal weapon stash was all the way in his bedroom. Something told him that he would not be able to get there in time.

Dan felt a bit rusty and aching still from his stay in the hospital and possibly from the remnants of the chemicals injected into him. Whoever – he wasn't completely certain, but he had a good idea as to who it might be – was in his apartment probably picked the time to assault him based on their knowledge of Dan being not at his hundred percent.

He pushed his back against the wall by the door to his kitchen and took a sneak peak into it. He held his breath as he scanned the room with one eye.

No one was there.

A bit more sure of himself, Dan stepped into the kitchen and looked around properly. Nothing was out of place. It was a bit unnerving. He moved towards the only window in the room and peered out through the closed glass. Through the rain crashing against the window he only saw the stormy weather and the building opposite.

Thunder boomed through the room as Dan sighed and leaned heavily on the counter. His head hung low, staring at the shiny marble worktop. Was he just being paranoid? The recent events must have been getting to him. There was probably no one in his apartment – his mind was merely playing tricks on him.

For a second, Dan was lost in thoughts of his own.

It was a mistake.

A hand slid around his waist and pulled him back tightly. Before he could react properly, another hand got a hold of his wrists and rendered him immobile.

What a lousy agent he was.

“Missed me?” A husky voice purred into his ear.

Dan tensed and attempted to break out of the tight embrace.“You wish,” He growled as he kept trying to tug himself free, but to no avail.

Lester chuckled, placing a kiss on the agent's tender neck. “Of course,” He murmured in a low tenor. “I see you managed to survive my little poison. That is good to hear, it would've been a shame to lose my favourite plaything.”

“You nearly killed me!” Dan flinched away from Lester's lips.

“And I apologise for that,” He said. “I was running short of time, it was never my intention to use it.”

“But you did,” Dan stubbornly insisted.

Dan heard a long sigh by his ear before being abruptly turned to face Lester. His wrists were still firm in the criminal's hold and he was pressed between Lester's warm chest and the edge of the cold counter. Dan released a breath he didn't know he was holding, trying to look everywhere but Lester's icy blue eye.

“It's in the past now.” Lester smiled. “And I'm sure I can do something to make you forget my little mistake.”

Dan tried to inch away as the other man leaned in closer, but it was near impossible with the kitchen counter digging into his lower back, Slowly, Lester's lips connected with his and tenderly caressed them. It felt as if all of Lester's attention was solely on him and on his lips. He melted into the touch, albeit unwillingly at first. After all, what would his fellow agents think if they saw him like that?

The Agency.

Chris.

Dan squirmed, managing to somehow break the kiss. He gasped heavily for air as he glared at his captor.

“Is something the matter, hmm?”

“Where's Chris?”

Lester laughed. “Kendall? I was hoping that you would've forgotten, however it seems not everything always goes my way.”

“Clearly,” Dan said through clenched teeth, “Where is he?”

“He's safe – for now.” Lester replied. “If you behave that is.”

“Let him go!” Dan screamed in the black haired man's face, pushing all of his bodyweight into him. The man staggered, but contained himself fast enough to not give Dan the chance to escape his grip.

“I'm not ready to do that yet Daniel. You see, I have slightly bigger plans that need your dear boss out of the picture for the foreseeable future.” Lester explained.

Dan narrowed his eyes. “Don't you dare kill him.”

“Only you can ensure Kendall's survival.” The blue eyed man smiled, as if mocking him.

At that, Dan was taken aback. What did he mean by that? He didn't know where Lester kept Chris, nevermind trying to have him at that moment in time. Without intel, it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

“You see, Kendall would be far too distracting for you. There are many things I want to accomplish that need him to not interfere. One of them is you.”

“Me?”

“Yes. I want a little fun with you that you would otherwise not agree to, I presume.” Lester removed his hand from Dan's waist to cup his chin. He pushed his knee between Dan's legs to prevent escape. “However, since you care so much about Kendall's well-being...well, I'm going to play things to my advantage.”

Dan felt Lester's blue eye burning into him and the skin where the man was holding his chin became all too warm. He continued to stare intently back, hoping that by showing stubbornness and defiance, he might achieve something.

“If you want to see Kendall alive again, you'll do as I say Daniel. You'll do what I want you to do. For the next while, you're mine Howell.” Lester smirked, his face inching closer to Dan's. “And there is nothing you can do about this. Am I to be understood?”

Dan swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. He was right. He could do nothing about it. He felt bound and chained like a caged songbird. It was unfair. Completely unfair. Why did Lester have to play with him so? Dan was like a marionette in his hands. Lester was tugging on his strings, clouding his mind and coaxing him to do things he shouldn't, and generally wouldn't do.

An image of Chris formed in his mind. He couldn't say that Chris had nothing to do with it...but he wasn't as deep in this shit as Dan was. He didn't deserve to get tangled between Dan and Lester.

Dan released a breath and looked away. There was no denying that he felt something for Lester, it was unmistakable. It was crude and dirty and completely and utterly wrong. An attraction that was not meant to be.

However, Dan was still an agent. A man of morals and his own principles that he stood by. Chris once jokingly called them his 'principles of righteousness', whatever that meant. Regardless of what it was called, Dan was a man who did not easily sway from the said thing. That was until Lester.

The appearance of Lester on the scene created inner turmoil within him. Something that took a long while to calm and he still did not come to terms with.

He doubted he could get a chance to do so for a long time.

Resigned, Dan nodded. “Understood.”

Immediately as those words left Dan, Lester captured his lips. Once again, Dan found himself in a trance like a cobra listening to the soft tunes of a snake charmer's instrument. The world became a blur to him, besides the all too clear existence of Lester. Lester, his burning hot lips and treacherous hands enticing Dan's body into cooperation.

Agent Howell was lost, locked away in his own mind by the actions executed upon him. In his place was Dan, the man who fell for Lester's irresistible allure.

The grip on his waist loosened as Lester slipped his hand under Dan's shirt and let his long fingers explore the feverish skin of Dan's back and hips. Two fingers brushed against the length of Dan's spine, allowing a shudder to run through him. He gasped softly into the kiss as it happened, which Lester took as an invitation to thoroughly explore the depths of Dan's mouth.

The brown haired man's hands did not continue to stay idle either. One of his hands grabbed Lester by the collar of his shirt while the other moved to his hair. He tugged on the black locks while deepening the already heated kiss. Dan's fingers brushed against the soft skin of Lester's face and the leather of the eye patch. He knew that no matter what his brain was screaming a him, he couldn't stop. He was too far gone.

Lester grew bored of Dan's lips quickly and swiftly moved onto his neck. He nipped and kissed the entirety of Dan's neck, sucking delicately on his Adam’s apple – all of it rendering Dan breathless and releasing quiet moans as he buried his face in Phil's hair.

Dan let his hands explore, move further down Phil's body – the lean shoulders shrouded in the dark cloth and further down his back to the hem of the skin tight leather trousers. His hands did not stop there, but moved just a bit lower.

“Like what you feel?” Phil whispered, his hot breath tingling the now-reddened skin of his neck.

Dan did not reply, but only moved his head to the side of Phil's and brushed his teeth against his ear. Phil gave out a low chuckle and moved slightly away from Dan. He grabbed him by the waist and pushed him up so he sat on the kitchen counter in front of him and moved to stand between his legs.

Hastily, Phil removed Dan's shirt and his own followed suit to falling to the floor. He kicked them away from them as he captured Dan's lips again while working on Dan's trousers. The man groaned as lithe fingers brushed against his growing erection.

“One would think that you're not against me doing this,” Phil smirked, pulling the rest of clothing off Dan.

That was very true. He wasn't. At least not in that moment. Because Lester's wicked hands made him feel like he was burning up. He was exposed, naked in front of his enemy. A million things could happen, but Dan was sure that only one was on Phil's mind.

“One would think you talk too much,” Dan murmured, pressing their bare chests together. He nuzzled the other's pale neck, inhaling the musky scent that could only be the finest cologne and Lester's own scent.

Phil moved his hand up Dan's naked thigh, indulging himself in the moment. Albeit he knew that the agent would say yes to his scheme, he did not expect it to run so smoothly. It was truly wondrous to be able drink the sweet moment of not fighting with Howell. At least not in the conventional sense, he smiled.

Pale fingers began to caress the agent's impressive erection, slow and meaningful strokes working up and down the length at a slow pace.

Dan gasped, his breathing hitched. He grabbed Phil by the shoulders, digging his short nails into the smooth skin. His back arched, leaning into the touch. The maddeningly slow strokes increased in speed, although gradually. Phil's fingers worked their magic on the entire erection, thoroughly going from the very tip to the lowest point.

“Say my name,” Phil whispered, his hand now moving faster.

Dan wasn't thinking clearly, the tightness in his stomach and the growing urge for release clouding his mind and vision. He could hardly register what the blue eyed man was saying to him.

“Now, now Dan. Don't be difficult. Say my name, will you handsome?”

With each thrust, Phil's hand slowed down as Dan remained quiet besides the soft gasps being released from his mouth. It came to a stop, Phil now merely holding the throbbing flesh.

Dan looked up at Phil, eyes diluted and unfocused. His cheeks were flushed and his chest was rising slowly as he attempted to return his breathing back to normal. Dan's swollen, pink lips were parted slightly; his hair a bird's nest atop of his head.

He looked absolutely delectable in Phil's humble opinion.

Good enough to eat.

“Dan, Dan, Dan, are you even listening?” Phil raised his visible eyebrow. He leaned in closer, never taking his hand of the erection, to the point that their faces were almost touching.

Lester let their foreheads and tips of their noses connect, admiring the beauty of Dan's eyes with pupils so wide that the chocolate iris was almost completely gone. “Say my name,” He ordered.

“L-Lester,” Dan breathed out.

“So close yet so far,” Phil said. “I should've been more specific. What's my given name?”

Dan hesitated for a mere moment. “Phil,” He finally said with reluctance.

The criminal smiled. “Good boy.”

A ghost of a kiss brushed Dan's lips as he saw the top of the black mop of hair move in front of his face and further down, until he felt a pair of soft lips on the tip of his member.

Phil moved his hand up and down as he took Dan further into his mouth. He bobbed his head to the rhythm he made with his hand, thoroughly enjoying the little noises that Dan made as he did so. Phil circled the Dan's thickness with his tongue, savouring the taste of Dan. He continued to work his mouth and hand simultaneously on the erection, doing things that made Dan's head spin.

Dan was close to undoing after only a few moments of pampering from Lester, the knot forming in his abdomen was ready to unfold. His fingers curled in the thickness of hair on Lester's head as he moaned loudly. The only other noises in the room was the tapping of raindrops on the glass and the booming of thunder as the lighting struck and illuminated his lithe form from the window behind him.

The black haired man must've sensed that he was nearing his limit. How, he did not know but when Phil took him almost whole and hummed, Dan could not contain himself any longer. The vibration sent through him was more than enough. With a sultry cry, he came undone.

Phil slid his lips off Dan's member, white liquid dripping from his mouth and down his chin. He swallowed some of the salty liquid, yet a significant amount remained on his lips and chin and some still in his mouth. He straightened his back to return to being at eye level with Dan who's head was pushed back and body limp.

He smiled as he slid a hand to the back of Dan's head and moved it forward to meet with his. He captured his lips, parting his mouth to allow Dan a taste of himself. Their lips moved in a hungry kiss, their thirst for the other's touch too strong to stay put.

Dan licked his own cum off the reddened lips and chin, nipping as he licked down the neck all the way down to the collarbones. Phil gave out a throaty moan, his hands bringing Dan closer. Dan let his hands explore Phil's body – from the strong arms and chest to the trail of hair from his belly button down that disappeared into his trousers. A prominent bulge formed in the tight leather, painful and in need of attention.

The brown eyed man kept Phil distracted with their ongoing kiss as he slid his hand to the button and zip of the trousers. The leather was smooth and soft and Dan couldn't help but run his fingers over it a few times before unbuttoning it and pulling the zip down. He slid his hand under the fabric and was met with a hot length which responded eagerly to his touch.

Dan pulled out Phil's member, running an admiring hand down it as the other man finished their kiss with a slow brush of lips to the corner of his mouth.

Phil took out two items out of the back pocket of his trousers and put them on the counter next to them. He took Dan's hands off his body and pushed the man back so he was leaning and resting slightly on the window with his naked back. Phil spread his legs apart and kissed the inside of his thigh all while looking directly into his eyes.

With one hand holding one of Dan's legs, Phil took the first of the items which was a small bottle of lube. He poured some of the semi-viscous liquid onto his fingers before setting the bottle aside and pushed the first of his fingers inside Dan.

Phil worked his fingers inside Dan, thrusting one at first and adding another as soon as he was sure it was more pleasurable than uncomfortable for the other man. When there were more sexually pleasing noises coming from Dan than anything else, Phil felt that they could continue.

He removed his fingers from Dan and quickly put a condom – the second item – on. A generous amount of lube fell on his erection and Dan's entrance. Spreading Dan's legs and pulling him closer to the edge of the counter, he positioned himself.

Dan was a bundle of nerves when his brain registered what was about to happen. It wasn't that he didn't want it – hell, it was all that mattered in that moment – or that he's never done it. Such sex was not a stranger to him or his body, although it was a while since...well. However, he was about to have sex with Phil...Lester. With Lester. And that made him nervous.

But that smile melted his very being and the glint in that blue eye promised boundless pleasure.

When Lester entered him, even with already being stretched beforehand, Dan's body tensed. He whimpered from discomfort, the result of which was a kiss from Lester on his leg and a whispered plea for him to relax.

Phil pushed further, until he was completely inside Dan. It resulted in an odd feeling of fullness that Dan experienced. He took a couple of deep breaths as he tried to adjust to the feeling. A moment later, he urged Phil to move.

He did. At first, slowly. Then, a little faster. With the increase of speed came an increase of friction which was coupled with the feelings running through both of them. Both men were vocal about it, grunts and groans and moans filling the otherwise quiet room.

Phil pumped into Dan, pleasure soaring through him like electricity. His moves became more needy and frequent the closer he was to the release, but he refused to come until he found a certain spot.

A few pelvic thrusts later, Dan let out a loud gasp that could only mean one thing. With a smirk, Phil kept moving to continue hitting that spot.

Ecstasy soared through Dan. His body shuddered, spasmed with pleasure as he breathlessly drank the sight of Phil, who finished a mere second afterwards while still buried within Dan. Their eyes locked, Dan's entrance still clenching around Phil's member and the world became so clear. Every sight, every touch became hypersensitive for them.

Phil pulled out, taking the condom off and throwing it to the bin which wasn't too far from them. He then took Dan's hand in his and pulled him up to a proper seating position. Both of them were tired yet so very sated.

“We just had sex,” Dan stated the obvious as Phil pulled him into an embrace. “I just had sex with you. Willingly.”

Phil chuckled, planting a kiss on his temple. “Yes, I'm afraid that happened.” He purred.

Dan sighed, his inner turmoil dulled by his current state of content. What has gotten himself into?


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for being an absolute douchebag who fails to update. There are many reasons, some more valid than others but I will not bother to explain myself because it would be pointless.  
> I'm a bit worried about this chapter - it includes an appearance of Alex Day who is not the most favourite person in the YouTube fandom right now. However if you dislike him, you may find the result of this pleasing.  
> I hope you enjoy and I apologise again. We're not far off the end and my muse for this fic came back so hopefully you won't have to wait months for me to update (feel free to pester me until I do).

Dan backed away and his lower back hit the counter-top. Eyes trained on the man only a few feet away from him, he didn't move a muscle. This wasn't Lester, who's actions Dan could guess by now for most part. Lester was the lesser of two evils – he'd fuck Dan before doing anything else. Toyed with him, treated it all like a game.  
But this wasn't the eye-patched criminal. No, this was someone much worse, if only because he was completely unpredictable.  
Alex Day smiled cockily as he leaned against the door with his hands in his pockets. He looked relaxed and amused, like a cat who just cornered a mouse. Which he did, the bastard.  
Dan tried to keep his face still of emotion. This wasn't a time to let his feelings control him – or let them show. He grasped the edge of the counter with his hands, so tight that his knuckles were slowly turning white.  
“Hello there Dan,” Alex grinned.  
Dan didn't reply, his eyes narrowing slightly. His whole body was tense, mind in override. He needed to analyse the situation quickly, come up with ways to adapt to it. What he needed to know was what did Day want and a plan of action for Dan himself.  
Judging by previous experience, he had about thirty seconds to come up with something before things got awry.  
“Not gonna reply? Okay, fine. I'm okay with that.” Alex said. “I've got nothing to do today, I can wait.”  
Fifteen seconds.  
Day clicked his tongue, looking around the kitchen lazily. “Nice place you've got there.” He commented. “Shame if something happened to it.”  
Five seconds.  
Dan's heart was in his throat. He was out of time. He could see it in Day's eyes. Dan scanned his closest surroundings, his eyes falling on the drawer directly below his left hand. Bingo.  
“What do you want, Day?” Dan asked, slipping his hand down in the most casual manner he could and opened the drawer. He slid his hand into the small opening, his fingers brushing against the cool metal of a blade.  
“Just wanted to see what Lester saw in you,” The man said, not looking at him. “He spends an awful amount of time with you and won't tell me anything. I'm feeling left out, you know? It's hurting my ego. Me – the man people come to for information doesn't know something! It's unheard of.”  
Dan's fingers curled around the plastic hilt of the knife. His heart dropped from his throat. Good, he was less defenceless now. He didn't have to fight Day weapon-less while the man most likely had some sort of gun or blade up his sleeve. He extracted his hand from the drawer – along with the knife.  
It was one of the bigger ones, a comfortable weight and sharpened to cut through meat like butter. Dan adjusted his grip on the hilt, looking directly at Day as he did. The criminal smirked and licked his lips as he caught the sight of Dan.  
“Is that how you want it then?” Day said. He pushed himself off the wall and took a step forward. Dan tensed, preparing to strike at any given moment.  
There was a dangerous look in Dan's eye as Day approached. His face was completely set in stone, brown eyes appearing even darker in the low light that illuminated the kitchen. Dan remembered that he wasn't a hopeless little boy, but an Agent. He was trained for years, had skills to deal with this. He knew countless ways to kill someone with his bare hands – and he had a knife.  
Day stopped when he was just within an arm's reach of Dan. The two men eyed each other challengingly – one with a face a bit more serious than the other.  
All it took was a blink of an eye.  
Dan twisted his arm around, moving in a swishing motion towards Day's chest.. It cut through the fabric of his shirt, but did no damage to the tissue. Not losing his poker face, Dan switched his stance to one where it would be easier to thrust the blade rather than swing it. Stab wounds would stop Day for longer than long cuts that were not as deep. This was a man he wanted to harm, to see him in pain and watch him bleed and die in front of him.  
So stab wounds it was.  
Dan dodged a punch and responded with one of his own with his free hand; quickly followed by a thrust of the knife. The punch hit Alex in the chest, pushing air out of his lungs; but he managed to avoid the sharp end of the blade at the very last minute. He stumbled back, clutching his chest with one hand as Dan stepped back and took the fighting stance again.  
Alex wheezed, trying to catch his breath. He coughed, smirking up at Dan who moved forward to stand over him – knife first.  
“Nicely done, Howell.” Day said between breaths. “But why not just finish me?”  
“I'm about to.”  
In a swirl of motion, Dan lunged at Alex. The said man, expecting it, moved to the side and when the next attack came, grabbed Dan by the wrist of the hand wielding the knife. They struggled for a moment, Dan grabbing the wrist of Alex's free hand. However, Dan was physically stronger than the more agile Alex and managed to throw the other off balance and leaving him stumbling back.  
Alex cursed and shot a look at Dan before his hand shot to the inside of his jacket. Dan's eyes flickered to the sight before training back on Alex's face. Knowing what was more than likely to happen, he attacked while he had the chance. Just as he did, Alex pulled his hand out from his jacket.  
“Well this is a bit of an inconvenience.” Alex chuckled.  
They were stood opposite each other. Dan has his arm stretched out before him, the point of the knife touching Alex's neck. Day on the other hand, held a gun which was pressed firmly against Dan's forehead.  
“I could easily kill you right now,” Alex said.  
“So could I,” Dan replied.  
“But would you really?”  
“It would be my pleasure to see you bleed out to death.”  
Alex closed his eyes and laughed bitterly. “Of course.” He smiled. “How about a little trade?”  
“Of?”  
“Well, you may know that I deal with information.” Alex said. “I could tell you a thing or two if you get that knife away from my throat.”  
Dan didn't even have to think about it. “Where is Chris.”  
“That I can't tell you just yet.” The knife pressed more pressure onto his neck. He did the same with the gun. “But I can tell you something else.”  
Dan considered it. “Well?” He finally asked.  
“Suppose that I told you that you should keep an eye on Buckingham Palace...about five days from now. Yeah, that sounds about right.”  
The agent's eyes narrowed in suspicion. “How do I know you're not lying?”  
“You don't.” Day replied. “But I didn't gain a reputation for dealing out false information, did I? Besides, the price is a bit too high right now to even consider lying.”

~*{Principles of Righteousness}*~

“Are you positive about this?”  
“Look, he wasn't in a position to lie. Besides, it's all we have right now. Take it or leave it.” Dan growled into the phone. The second that Day disappeared, relatively unharmed (Dan may have packed a punch or two at him before he left), the Agent went to let the Quartermaster know what he learnt. It wasn't much, but it's been three days since Lester's visit (which he'd rather forget) and he wasn't about to tell PJ about that.  
The silence and being in the dark was stressing both of them out. Not knowing where Chris is or even if he's alive or not. Not knowing where Lester or Day were or what were their plans. That little bit of information was better than nothing.  
“It could be a trap,” Came PJ's voice from the phone.  
“Yeah, I know. But it's better than nothing. We've dealt with traps before.” Dan said, pacing around his living room as he spoke.  
“And look where it got us.”  
“Don't you start this, okay?” Dan hissed. “I know we fucked up, that I fucked up, but we can't do anything about it. This is our only chance to fix this shit, Liguori. Got it? If we don't take this, we might as well give up because clearly we can't find him, Lester or Day without them blatantly giving us their location.”  
“If we had more time we'd be able to locate them. I've got the best people on it, the computer algorithms have been set up and are searching for their location globally. We just need to get them to slip up – they must make a mistake at some point.”  
“PJ, Jesus Christ listen to yourself. We don't have that kind of time. With or without the Agency's backup, I'm going there. By the time that they slip up and your stupid computer manages to register that, Chris could be six feet under and Lester would be winning.”  
“Dan –“  
“No PJ, I'm done here. I'm going and if you'd like to help me, then better start getting ready. I want Chris back just as much as you do, I just happen to not hide behind the safety of the computer screen.”  
Dan ended the call. With a frustrated cry, he threw the phone across the room where it hit the wall with a loud thud. He wasn't about to just sit there and wait for 'reliable' information to come through – not when they had this.  
He collapsed onto his sofa and threw his head back. He needed to get ready. It was likely that PJ won't help him – or if he decides to, it won't be until just before the mission. Dan needed to be ready regardless of what the Quartermaster says or does.  
He had five days to do so.

~*{Principles of Righteousness}*~

  
Dan rarely took in visitors to his apartment, as he had little friends outside the Agency. However, in the past few days that changed, unwillingly on Dan's side. A mere day after Nerimon left, Lester stormed into his apartment.  
Dan found himself against the wall of his living room, wrists pinned on either side of him by Lester's hands and the said man with a deadly look in his eye directly in front of him.  
“What did Nerimon do to you?” Lester growled at him.  
“I don't see how it's any of your business.” Dan said.  
Lester narrowed his eyes, pushing his body tightly against Dan's. “Don't mess with me, Howell. Now tell me what he did.”  
Dan scoffed. “How about you ask Day? He's supposed to be your partner in crime.” He spat at him.  
“Don't you think I did?” Was Lester's reply, the grip on Dan's wrists getting tighter with every word. “But I trust him only as far as I can throw him.”  
“That's not my problem.” Dan spat.  
“Howell,”  
“Why do you even care?”  
Lester gave him a dark look. “I don't like him touching what's mine.”  
“I'm not yours,” Dan struggled against Phil, his words burning into his brain. No, he didn't belong to anyone. Especially not Lester.  
Phil smirked, going to nibble on Dan's ear. “We'll see,” He whispered.  
~*~  
When Dan awoke in the morning, the after-effects of the night before hit him like a train-wreck. It took a great amount of effort to move his abused body from under the duvets and into the bathroom. After the events of yesterday, he had no energy left in him to cleanse his body once Lester finally left and collapsed into bed just as he was. Tired, aching and covered in a layer of sweat, lube and a certain bodily fluid he'd rather not think about that soiled the bed sheets and him.  
Even after a thorough scrub of his entire body; Dan still felt defiled – both physically and mentally. The memories of Lester's hands and cock on him and inside him flashed before his eyes as he washed the lube and cum off his lower body parts. He shuddered under the stream of hot water, unsure whether that was from disgust or pleasure – he didn't want to know.  
It was still early morning – much earlier than he had to be awake for, but he didn't want to stay between the dirty sheets any longer – when Dan exited his steamed up bathroom and returned to his bedroom to dress himself. With only a towel around his waist, he picked up the sheets he kicked off when getting up and threw them back onto the bed. He'd deal with them later.  
Dan caught his reflection in the full length mirror on his wardrobe door, his breath hitching at he saw the state of himself.  
His body became a canvas for the artist that was Lester. What was once skin marred merely by old wound scars was now heavily battered with a layer of fresh purple and red bruises – love bites. His neck and inner thighs were where the most prominent ones were, but his chest, sides and hips did not get away unscathed. It was as if Lester claimed him and wanted everyone who approached Dan to know it.  
It made him feel sick at the thought.  
Dan trailed a hand down his throat, examining his skin thoroughly. A dull ache formed where he applied slight pressure. It would be difficult to hide them. Whilst his suit could hide his torso and limbs, that did not extend beyond the first inch or so of his neck. He could wear a scarf, however he hardly wore one on daily basis and starting now would be highly suspicious. It would cause questions to be asked that he certainly did not want asking.  
Resigned, Dan sighed and still wearing only the towel that was on the verge of falling off, he went to his night stand to search for something that he hoped to never see again.  
A few months ago, Dan was sent on a mission that required a disguise that he wasn’t too keen on. However, unfortunately out of all of the agents considered he was the one who could pull it off the best. The mission was to spy on a successful businessman known for his appreciation of the fairer sex; posing as his new, attractive and very much female secretary in order to discover his connection with the international weapons merchant Thomas Ridgewell.  
All of the Agency's female agents were indisposed at the time of the mission, therefore it was decided that a male agent would go in their stead, cross-dressing as a woman. Out of everyone, it was decided that Dan would do it as he did make a strangely beautiful woman to everyone's surprise (and Dan's horror).  
In order to not raise suspicions about his true gender, Dan was forced to dress and act appropriately – that included wearing heels and make up for the best part of three months. Although the latter was supposed to be minimal; he did have an unfortunate incident with a criminal (now residing in prison) a day before his mission was scheduled to start. This meant that Dan had to learn a trick or two in how to conceal bruises with make up.  
Naturally, the second the mission finished, Dan threw the remaining make up into the miscellaneous drawer of his night stand and prayed that he would never have to use it again. Of course, things didn't turn out as he wanted them to as here he was pulling out the concealer among the other needed liquids and powders from the drawer after spending a fair few minutes fishing them all out. Dan was never happier to have spent three months pretending to be a woman.  
Covering the bruises did not take long and with a final touch of powder foundation, it was as if they were never there. Dan just hoped that no one had the audacity to touch his neck and smudge his make up.  
He slid into a fresh suit, but left his hair with it's natural curls. Usually he straightened it, but after having to deal with make up he simply did not have the energy for it. Dan was still sore and tired, even after a full night's sleep.  
Half an hour later, he was sat in his living room with his laptop and a cup of coffee. For once, he wasn't working. Instead, he was aimlessly scrolling through pages of conspiracy theories that sounded so ridiculous that they might actually be true. He skipped passed the ones that related to the American Government spying on anyone and everyone who was someone or was distantly connected to someone who was someone. He knew those were true to some extent. And the public knew that to some extent too, with the whole spying on the calls of the German Prime Minister coming up again recently.  
Dan took a sip of his coffee, closing down the tab with Telegraph's article 'History's greatest conspiracy theories' just as the sound of the front door opening and closing reached him. He froze, before slowly closing his laptop shut and putting both it and his coffee onto the coffee table. Dan sat up in his seat on the sofa, staring intently at the doorway where whoever entered his apartment would appear.  
He had no doubt that it would be Lester – and he wasn't mistaken.  
The one-eyed criminal almost glided into the room, a lazy smirk on his face and looking clean-cut in his black clothes. There was not a single sign of last night on him.  
“I was hoping to catch you still in bed,” Lester said, leaning against the doorway. “Such a same.”  
“What a shame indeed,” Dan replied flatly. He took a long look to examine Lester thoroughly, hoping to catch a sign of him not coming out of last night completely unscathed and finding nothing.  
Dan did not move an inch as Lester approached him. He kept an eye trained on the man who took a seat beside him and leaned much too close for comfort towards him. Dan's muscles tensed as he felt Lester's gloved hands touch him – more specifically his neck.  
“Strange,” Lester hummed, brushing his finger down Dan's neck. “I was sure that I left some marks on your neck last night.”  
Dan didn't say anything as Lester removed his hand. He looked away when the man took to examining his fingers. “Oh?” Lester looked surprised to see the powder that settled on the glove. “What is this?”  
Dan remained silent.  
Lester chuckled. “Is someone...embarrassed of what they did? Trying to hide it with make up?” Lester pressed his finger onto Dan's neck, moving in a slow motion to slowly scrape off the make up. “Why Daniel, I never thought you desperate enough to wear make up...”  
In silence, Lester scraped more and more of the make up off Dan's neck – the purple of the bruises and love bites showing through gradually. As he worked, Dan started to feel even more dirty and hopeless.  
“Daniel...where did you get this make up from in the first place?”  
Dan swallowed hard, still not looking at Lester. “I had a mission that required it.”  
“And pray tell, what else did that mission require of you?”  
The agent said nothing, a blush creeping onto his cheeks.  
“I'm waiting.”  
“...that I dress and pretend to be a woman.”  
Lester smiled cruelly, however Dan did not see it. “How about you show me, my pet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As for the last scene...I'm very tempted to expand on it at the beginning of the next chapter. I am however, concerned about whether I should. It would be smut and include Dan cross-dressing. I would love to write it, and I probably will, but I would still like your opinion on whether I should. Your comments are always appreciated and thank you for sticking around.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're about one or two chapters away from the end! Also about 2.7k of this chapter is pure smut that I promised, so enjoy and let me know what you think!

There were times in Dan's life that he never wished to repeat. This was slowly becoming one of them.

He was stood in his bathroom, staring blankly at the pile of clothes that he was supposed to dress in. His naked form was reflected in the mirror that was still half covered in steam. Those clothes weren't his usual suits and he never felt truly comfortable in them and never will.

Dan knew he couldn't keep Lester waiting for long. Yet, he still prolonged the inevitable. If Lester told him to do something, it didn't mean that he had to do it in the time frame he was given. Even if it meant a punishment later. He could cross that bridge when he came to it.

After a long wait, long enough for the steam to completely disappear from the mirror, Dan finally picked up the clothes. The skirt, the shirt, the stockings and the padded bra. He put them on, albeit unwillingly. He didn't feel right in them. It somehow felt wrong and perverted to have the stockings snug around his legs or the bra peeking out slightly from the button up shirt. Everything was fitted and tight and in all the worst ways, looked perfectly right on him.

Regardless of Dan's feelings, he did make an attractive woman. Which did not help his situation at all.

The walk from the bathroom was slow and humiliating. The distance between the two rooms was small, but time dragged for Daniel. A large part of him did not want to do what he was about to do. A smaller, much smaller, part of him wondered why didn't he just shoot Lester. He ignored that part, telling himself that it was all part of a plan. That he can't kill Lester because only he knows where Chris was.

Dan stood in the doorway to his bedroom, a pink tint on his cheeks, pulling the tight skirt down with one hand and trying not to look Lester in the eye. The criminal was lounging on Dan's bed, the soiled sheets kicked off the bed and sprawled on the floor. His arms were folded behind his head, legs crossed as he laid down and admired the view from the doorway with his blue eye. A small smile crept onto his lips when he noticed Dan's flustered look.

He took in every inch of Dan's body slowly, making the Agent feel his stare burn into his body. Lester's eyes travelled from the marked neck down – eyes glinting mischievously at how the shirt hugged Dan's body, the bra peeking out slightly from the low cut shirt. How the skirt barely covered Dan's ass, clinging to his hips like second skin. How the stockings embraced the long, shapely legs and how the left one was sliding down slightly.

It was a sight to behold.

Lester silently beckoned Dan closer with a gesture, earning hesitant steps moving towards the bed from Dan. The man managed to reach the end of the bed before stopping.

“Come here, sweetheart.” Lester extended his hand towards Dan lazily, as if asking him to take it. Blush deepening, Dan crawled onto the bed and took the hand.

Lester lead him to a seating position on top of him – straddling his hips. The skirt rode up completely, now merely a belt around his waist. Lester did not let go of his hand, instead he held it tighter as he brought it up to his lips. Dan's body tensed at the contact.

“You look beautiful,” Lester murmured, moving his free hand to Dan's waist.

“Don't call me beautiful.”

“Why?” Lester smiled lazily. “I called you handsome before and you didn't seem to mind.”

“Beautiful and handsome are different.”

Lester laughed. “They mean all the same to me, princess.”

Dan hated the mission where he became 'Danielle' because it emasculated him. However, that was nothing compared to what he felt now. During the mission, everyone thought he was actually a woman. Lester knew all too well that he was the opposite sex. Yet, he still chose to use feminine terms to address him. Beautiful, sweetheart, princess – Dan was none of those. He was male and wanted to be treated as such. To be emasculated by his greatest enemy and the one man who held power over him at the moment was degrading. Dan felt sick at the thought of it.

“What's the matter, love?” Lester asked. “You don't like to be paid compliments?”

“I don't like to be paid _girly_ compliments.” Dan shot back.

Lester laughed softly, running his hand down Dan's hop and leg, his fingers getting caught at the hem of the stocking and tugging on it slightly. He let go of his hold of Dan's hand and brought his fingers up to Dan's chin. Slowly, he brought it closer to him, so Dan was leaning over him and their faces almost touched.

The Agent's heart was beating like a drum in his ribcage, wanting to break free. But his body was like a statue, as still as a stone, but not as cold. His skin was feverish and plagued with worse heat in places Lester's touch lingered. His body was yearning for more, craving Lester's touch, even if the mind was against it.

Lester captured Dan's lips, his movements slow. It was as if he was cherishing the moment, attempting to work the feeling of Dan's lips against him into his memory. The tender touch threw Dan off balance, who was used to the dominance displayed by Lester.

It was...caring. Lester kissed slowly, there was no force in his actions. He merely lead Dan along, as if there was no pressure behind his actions. This could not be described as foreplay leading up to a fuck, there was no other word for it but lovemaking.

Dan's heart sank at the realisation. This wasn't happening. Clearly this was just some sort of plan to fuck with him even more.

Yes, definitely.

Dan kissed back, with more force. He grabbed Lester by the strands of hair at the nape of his neck and pulled on them. He nipped at Lester's bottom lip, desperate to take the lead. If he had to do this, he'd do it on his own terms.

Dan's movements were harsh and fast, needy and desperate. He devoured Phil inch by inch, groaning and grinding and craving the taste of Phil on his tongue.

He never 'made love', for he was never in love. What he had with Lester wasn't love, it was a deal he couldn't back out of. So what if he felt addicted to those hands around his waist, fingernails digging into his flesh, scraping and leaving red marks that burned for hours afterwards.

Lester let Dan do this. He let him take control for those few moments. He smiled and moaned when it was needed, touched when it was needed and didn't stop Dan at all. He let Dan have this, although he knew that he didn't have to. He was merely enjoying the moment, not having to force the agent into anything.

Lester's hand slid under the shirt Dan wore, running his hand across the healed scars on Dan's back. Dan responded by wrapping his arms around Phil's neck, kissing him until their lips had to part for breath. By then Dan's cheeks were flushed, eyes hazy with lust. His breathing was fast and shallow, every other breath followed by a moan.

Phil grabbed Dan by the back of his neck, leaning his forehead against Dan's. He looked at Dan, who was staring back from under his eyelashes.

“Since you're so eager today,” Phil murmured. “I want you to ride me.”

Dan was taken aback by what he just heard. It was something Lester would say, but still it felt like a foreign command for Dan...His mouth parted slightly in surprise, but Phil didn't take his words back.

“Come on, pet. You heard me.” Lester said again, slipping his thumb into Dan's mouth as he kissed his neck. Dan groaned, shifting uncomfortably as Phil moved his arms from his neck. “I'm not a patient man, love.”

He sunk his teeth into Dan's neck, making Dan flinch and tense up. Searing pain shot through his neck, but it was joined by a flash of unmistakable pleasure that left Dan's lower regions throbbing with need.

“How about you prepare yourself?” Phil breathed against Dan's neck, while his hands grabbed his ass, groping and spreading the cheeks.

The agent complied, taking his fingers into his mouth and covering them thoroughly with saliva. He arched his back, hesitating when he felt his own fingers touching his entrance. It wasn't like he had never done it before, but no one ever watched him do it.

Dan entered one finger, fucking the saliva covered digit before pushing another one in. His fingers pumped in and out of him, a fast paced rhythm forming. He was gasping, biting at his chapped lip as he looked down at Phil, who was taking in the sight before him with glee.

It continued like that for a few moments – Dan was giving the other man a performance while being sat on his hips and feeling his erection between his spread thighs. Lester was completely entranced by Dan and the way he was grinding against him while fingering himself.

Lester took his hands off Dan's ass, which he was spreading previously. “Don't stop,” he murmured to Dan as he slid his hands into his trouser pockets, to take out a few condoms and a small bottle of lube.

“Tell me love, is your asshole spread wide for me yet?” He smirked, idly tracing the veins of Dan's cock which was hard and erect and poking out from under the skirt that was riding up on Dan's stomach.

Dan gasped, his hips bucking towards Phil. “Y-yes.” He moaned out.

“Hmm, good.” Lester purred. He grabbed Dan by the wrist and pulled his hands towards him and handed him the condoms and lube. Without being told, Dan knew what to do.

He slid further down Lester's legs and bent down. He unbuttoned Phil's black jeans and pulled them down enough so the erection was released. Licking his lips, Dan took hold of it and stroked it for a moment, licking the tip off the precum.

He ripped the condom package off with his teeth and took hold of the condom with his mouth. He looked up at Phil deviously and moved to place his mouth and the condom on the tip of Phil's cock before proceeding to take him into his mouth completely. The condom slid onto Phil's erection with ease, leaving Dan's mouth empty to curl into a satisfied smirk.

Lester arched his back a little as Dan slid back up his legs, their erections now touching. Lester moaned as Dan's eyes fluttered to a close momentarily.

“Howell, get on with it.” Phil groaned, hands clawing at Dan's thighs; hooking at the hem of the stockings as he tried to push the man closer towards him. Dan let out a breathless laugh, exhaling air through his mouth as he pushed himself up onto his knees. He moved himself forward so he hovered over Lester's thick erection and pushed the last of the skirt up completely.

He took hold of the bottle of lube and poured the viscous liquid onto the latex covered erection, spreading it with the palm of his hand so a thick layer covered it.

With Lester's hands resting on his hips, holding onto the fabric of the skirt, Dan lowered himself. He felt the tip of the cock prod against his entrance and then slowly enter him under the guidance of his hand.

His flesh burned, hot as he was stretched to accommodate Phil's size, but not unpleasantly so. The feeling of fullness overcame him the more of Phil did he take in. His eyes fluttered shut, but not before seeing Lester with a similar look on his face as he tugged on the skirt as if trying to push Dan down faster.

Dan exhaled, getting used to having Phil inside him fully. He bit his lip, moving his hips in a circular motion that made Phil groan under him and buckle his hips. He grabbed Dan by the cock, jerking his hand harshly, forcing Dan to moan and making his asshole tighten.

They fell into a rhythm quickly, Dan fucking Lester's cock as it slid in and out of him and leaving both men breathless and moaning out. A surge of hotness spread from Dan's lower regions and all over his body, leaving his skin burning and covered in sweat. The clothes were stuck to him with sweat, stockings sliding down to his knees as he moved and shirt falling off one shoulder.

Lester was writhing underneath him, his hands travelling everywhere they could reach and his shirt long unbuttoned with Dan's fingers digging into his shoulders to keep himself balanced. Phil dug his nails into Dan's sides, scratching at the skin to make Dan shudder in pleasure.

He ghosted his thumb across the underside of Dan's cock, stroked against the tip for a moment before leaving his hands to wander Dan's body again. He pulled at Dan's clothes, bringing them closer and thrust his hips to fuck Dan deeper. He brought Dan's neck down to him and kissed and nibbled at it; running his teeth against the pulsing artery while Dan's hot breath tingled his ear.

Even in this position, where seemingly Dan had the power, it felt like Phil was in control.

“Enough of this,” Phil muttered after a while, before hoisting himself up while still inside the agent. One of his hands moved behind Dan's back while the other held his arse as Lester pushed him down onto the mattress and positioned himself on top of than.

“You look delicious,” Lester breathed against Dan's neck as he thrust inside him. Dan's hands found themselves grabbing at the fabric of Lester's shirt.

Dan's mind was a haze, he couldn't form coherent thoughts. All he knew was Lester's body and how he made him scream out in pleasure as he spread his legs even wider and penetrated him deeply. He cried out Lester's name when the man started to touch his cock, getting him off all while still fucking his asshole.

“Absolutely delectable...your body is responding so perfectly to everything I do to it.” Phil said, pressing his hand against Dan's neck. His fingers put pressure on it, firmly grasping at the flesh and choking him momentarily. Dan gasped out, his blood pressure elevating as Lester loosened the pressure for a second. He kept doing it and with every time, a strange feeling ran through Dan, a mixture of panic and arousal.

“Do you like this?” Lester asked, his voice husky. “Of course you do. I'm the one doing it.”

Dan wanted to say something, but not only was he at a loss for words, but he physically couldn’t as Lester cut off the air from his lungs. The only noises that came out of his mouth sounded desperate and choked, sounds that weren't even the simplest of words.

“How does it feel to be fucked while dressed like this? As a woman?”

Dan gasped for air when Lester released the hold on his neck, a strange feeling washing over his body. His muscles were spasming and Lester groaned out with content as his asshole tightened around him again. Dan was breathing heavily, dizzy from the lack of air he just experienced and high on the oxygen he gained in the last few seconds. Air tasted differently after something like that.

Phil grunted, deciding that the fun was over. He threw Dan's legs over his shoulders and fucked Dan like an animal. He hit at Dan's prostate every single time and made him cry out his name over and over like a chant.

“Come for me, my pretty.” Phil said, just seconds before he came himself, buried deep within Dan. He moaned as Dan came soon after, climax shaking his entire body and cum flowing from his cock and splattering over his clothes.

Lester took a few seconds before throwing Dan's legs off him and pulling his cock out. Dan was left to fall onto the bed numbly, not yet recovered from the climax. He wasn't in the right mind, for certain, and could hardly remember anything besides the pleasure of his release.

Releasing a deep breath, Phil pulled Dan up and closer to himself. He took him by the chin and made him look into his eye.

“You're mine, do you understand?” He said, his stare challenging Dan to defy him.

~*{Principles of Righteousness}~

The remaining days until the supposed intrusion to the Buckingham Palace passed quickly and with no interruption from Lester's side. Dan saw neither hide nor hair of the man, which naturally made him more on edge. It was the calm before the storm and Dan knew it.

PJ and the Agency did not contact him, so Dan presumed he'd be going alone. It's been a long time since he has done that and never before was there more at stake. Chris was in danger, Dan wasn't sure if he was even still alive. He clung to the hope that he was, because it was the only thing that kept him going.

Dan was sat in his living room, all his equipment ready and packed. He was dressed in his crisp suit again, groomed to the highest standards. For some reason, this physical preparation made him feel better about the outcome of the mission – he looked ready so he was ready for it.

It was not long before he had to leave. He was leaving the day before, so he would arrive at Buckingham at midnight as Day did not specify when the 'something' would happen. Dan imagined that it would not be until the afternoon at least, but it was better to be safe than sorry. He didn't want to arrive late and miss his only chance.

The security at the Palace were informed of his arrival, it was standard procedure even if he wasn't working on the behalf of the Agency. Well, they didn't know that part. They thought that simply only one agent was assigned to the case. Naturally they were all informed on a need-to-know basis, so the chances of anyone finding out that Dan was working alone were limited.

Even if PJ didn't extend his hand for help, Dan still took the communication headpiece. Mostly out of sentiment of course, _not_ because he secretly hoped that PJ would appear out of the blue to help.

Within a few hours, he relocated from his apartment to the Palace. He was given a room that was joined to the Queen's chambers by a secret passage and set up a laptop connected to the CCTV in the Palace. The Queen, warned of the danger, refused to leave Buckingham – claiming the spent enough time away from it as it is and that she would not be scared away from her own home.

Dan admitted that he admired Her Majesty's bravery, but then again she didn't rule a country for almost sixty years by hiding away from every little thing. She was a force to be reckoned with and currently asleep in her chambers, completely confident that she will be able to deal with the danger if it faces her.

The night dragged and by the time that the morning sun appeared on the sky, nothing happened. Dan was sat alone in the room, staring at the live CCTV footage for hours and drinking enormous amounts of coffee. The morning passed in a similar fashion and so did the afternoon. By the evening, the Queen returned to her chambers to rest after a long, but ordinary day and still, nothing stood out on the screens.

There were times throughout the day when Dan wondered if this was just a joke and Day was messing with him. But for his own peace of mind, he continued through the day just to make sure.

Dan stood up from the chair he occupied for most of the day, stretched and cracked his back. Rubbing his eyes, he turned away for a minute to refill his cup of coffee.

When he turned back, he dropped the cup and ran over to the laptop.

Because every rectangle that used to show a different camera from the Palace, now showed one thing.

The unconscious face of one Chris Kendall.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little note, PoR does not portray a healthy relationship and you should never act like Phil does in this fic - especially when it comes to kinks you need to ask for consent and talk through it before the act with your partner because it coming out of the blue will just terrify them.


	10. Chapter 10

“ _Hello Daniel.”_

The CCTV footage did not change, Chris was still the only thing shown on screen. However, it was now accompanied by the all too familiar voice, even when distorted by the static of a bad microphone.

“ _How lovely to see you, I did not expect to see you here today.”_ That was a blatant lie. _“You should cut down on the coffee, it's not good for you.”_

Dan recovered from his initial shock and attempted to take back control of the CCTV footage again. No matter what he did though, the program was not responding. That didn't stop him from trying though.

“ _I would stop that if I were you,”_

“Yeah, fat chance of that.” Dan hissed as he kept typing, hoping that one of the computer commands he was typing out of memory would affect the controls. He wasn't PJ when it came to computers, but he knew his fair share and at that point, it was all he had.

“ _You're such a bad boy, one would think you want to be punished.”_

Dan growled angrily, slamming his fists into the keyboard. No matter what he did, the laptop wouldn't respond and Lester's voice coming from the speakers just irritated him even more. He wasn't some fucking toy that the man could mess with.

“Fuck you, asshole.” Dan spat at the laptop. He turned on his heel and grabbed his weapons from the table behind him. If he couldn't figure out where the man was from CCTV, he would just have to do it the old fashioned way and scout the building himself.

“ _Come find me Daniel. I've missed you.”_

Dan turned his head for a last glance at the laptop. The footage was now zoomed out, even if it still showed Chris. He was positioned to sit at a long table in a stunningly decorated room, tied to his chair. Dan recognised the room – it was the dining hall on the other side of the Palace.

Of course Lester would want to lead him as far away from the Queen as possible.

He narrowed his eyes, hesitating whether he should go. He knew that he would be leaving Her Majesty vulnerable, but if he didn't go then who knows what would happen to Chris. He knew nothing of what Lester was planning, but staying cooped up in one room would not bring him closer to finding out.

Dan grabbed another loaded gun and moved out of the room and into the Queen's chambers. She was sleeping in her bed, her corgis fast asleep by her feet. Taking a deep breath, he approached her sleeping form, kneeling by her bed as he gently shook her awake.

“Your Majesty,” He murmured.

Queen Elizabeth II sat up in her bed, looking down at the kneeling agent.

“Yes, Agent Howell?” She asked, slowly becoming more awake with every moment.

“Lester is in another part of the Palace, Your Majesty. I will be going after him, however I didn't want to leave you vulnerable. I know the Palace Guard are surrounding the place, but the CCTV has been breached and I wouldn't put it past Lester's men to have the Guard taken out.” He passed the extra gun he took to the monarch. “Your Majesty, do you know how to use it?”

The Queen smiled at him. “Of course Agent, who do you think I am? I can shoot as well as anyone even if I don't do it as often as you do. You need to have more faith in me and my guard.”

Daniel nodded. “I don't have faith in anyone, Your Majesty. Trust is easily broken.”

Queen Elizabeth II laughed softly. “You should have faith in your Queen, Agent. I can take care of myself and I'm sure Monty, Willow and Holly will be guarding me as well.” The three corgis woke from their sleep soon after the Queen, now fully alert and ready for anything to come. It was as if the dogs sensed the danger, ready to protect their mistress.

“Now go, I assume you don't have all the time in the world, Agent Howell.”

Daniel bowed his head, “Yes, Your Majesty.” He quickly scrambled to his feet and left the room. He saw the guard stood by the Queen's chamber doors, nodding at them as he walked past. They straightened as they saw him, hands immediately travelling to where their weapons were hidden.

“Security's been breached. CCTV's down – it's code red. Watch out.” Dan said to them before dashing off. The two men nodded in affirmative at him and prepared for the worst as Dan left.

Everything between leaving the Queen's chambers and reaching the dining hall was a blur. Dan's mind was racing, heart beating faster and pumping adrenaline through his body. He took out a gun just before he reached the room and pressed himself against the wall right by the door. Carefully, he opened the door and walked in gun first.

The dining hall was quiet and Dan's eyes zeroed on Chris' limp body sat up in the chair on the immediate left to the head seat. Ropes pressed him into the back of the chair, making his posture straighter than it had been in years. It was unnatural, frightening to see for Dan.

His stomach turned, head screaming to run to Chris and check if he was still alive. He ignored the voices in his head, at least trying to keep his thoughts straight. He couldn't afford to break now and ruin his only chance to save Chris.

Dan proceeded further into the room with the gun still raised, willing his legs not to start running towards the table. Slow, careful steps. Eyes surveying the room, trying to catch a glimpse of Lester anywhere.

He was five strides away from Chris when he broke into a run. He reached his boss, long time college and most importantly, his friend and immediately checked him over. Lester was momentarily forgotten.

Chris looked as well as anyone would in his situation, at first glance. There was dried blood on his face, but the cuts were almost healed. His skin was tender and bruised, but that was expected. His right eyelid was shut swollen and purple. His mouth was hanging open slightly and Dan could see a missing tooth. Ropes were digging into his skin, which was left bare besides a pair of slacks on his legs. There were bandages on his stomach, but Dan didn't dare check under them to find out why they were there. He was afraid to.

Dan's heart was beating like a drum. He was relieved that Chris was still alive and that his only injuries looked like he could make full recovery from. He wanted nothing more but to cut the ropes off and take him to the hospital immediately. However, something in his mind told him not to move him yet.

That something also raised the hair on his neck and ran an unpleasant shudder down his back. An intuition of sorts, that told him it wasn't over yet.

“I'm surprised you haven't noticed me yet.”

Dan spun on his heel, gun raised and pointed in the direction of the voice. Lester stood there, as relaxed as ever, with hands in his pockets and a smile.

“Well the world doesn't revolve around you, I don't have to.” Harshly, Dan said.

“Ah, but you're mistaken. Your would has been all about me for years, I made sure of that.” There was something deeply disturbing in that smile. Lester has a naturally pleasant, welcoming face – almost innocent. However his personality shined through and his expressions twisted it.

“Fucking bullshit,” Dan seethed, his finger twitching on the trigger momentarily.

“I'm afraid not. I'll always be on your mind, dear Daniel.”

Lester took a step forward, cocking his head to the side. Dan didn't move, but his gun and eyes were still trained on the other man. Lester kept walking, until his chest touched the gun. Dan hasn't fired.

“What are you scared of? Why aren't you shooting, Daniel? Are you...scared?” Lester sounded mockingly amused, boiling the blood in Dan's veins. He couldn't stand being ridiculed, which was all that Lester did to him. Yet, he still let him. Well, 'let' was a strong word. He allowed it until he snapped or Lester's usefulness ran out.

It seemed like the time has come.

Lester pursed his lips after a moment of stand still. “Come, sit down with me Daniel.”

“And why the fuck would I do that?”

“Because clearly you're not planning on shooting anytime soon. My legs are tiring.” Phil took hold of Dan's wrist, of the hand that was holding the gun. With confidence, he made Dan lower his arm, take his weapon and lead him by the wrist to the seat opposite Chris. Phil pulled out the antique chair for Dan, as if he was a maiden. He did not argue.

Why didn't he argue? Why didn't he _do_ anything? What was wrong with him?

Phil sat down in the head chair. He raised his glass, red wine swirling inside. It was then Dan noticed the meal laid out before him.

It was cooked meat of some sort with fava beans. There was a filled wine glass on the side. The same set up was before Lester, and Chris too.

“Chianti,” Lester said, nodding at the wine. “I thought it would go perfectly.”

Dan just stared at his plate.

“I'd like you to try it at least. We went through _such_ trouble to make this, didn't we Chris?” Lester hummed, throwing the wine onto Chris' face. It seemed to wake him up, albeit he didn't gain consciousness rapidly. His eyes were open, but they were dim and he still looked mostly out of it. Probably still drugged, Dan thought.

“It would be rude to waste a meal your dear _friend_ went through so much _pain_ to make.” Lester said pointedly, stealing Chris' full glass of wine in replacement for the one he spilled.

“What is it?” Dan demanded, suspicious as to Chris' involvement already.

“Liver served with fava beans and this lovely Chianti.” Lester smirked, sipping the wine. “The liver was a generous donation from our dear Christopher here...” Chris moaned, still too out of it to be able to speak coherently.

Immediately Dan felt sick. His stomach turned, he went green in the face. “You sick _bastard._ ” He growled, pushing himself away from the table, spilling the wine and throwing the plate onto the floor. “ _What the fuck is wrong with you.”_

Lester sighed, glancing at Chris, who was slowly becoming more aware and was now writhing in his binds. “How rude,” Lester shook his head.

Before he could do anything more, Dan lunged at him.

The chair broke under them as they skidded across the floor. Lester his his head painfully on the floor. Dan was a flurry of movement, blinded by the situation around him. It felt too crazy, too 'Alice in Wonderland' with a dash of 'Hannibal' to be real. The whole situation felt twisted, sick. He couldn't handle it anymore.

His Agent training went out of the window. He punched Lester in the face, grabbing him by the collar and delivering a painful blow after blow. Lester didn't have time to react, blood filling his mouth at a rapid rate. Dan wasn't thinking straight, his heart set on the revenge and pent up frustration from the long time he was basically Lester's bitch.

His whole body felt free, like a heavy weight was lifted of it. It only fed his anger, his pure, unadulterated lust for blood. His final act of revenge.

With every blow, there was a scream, there was a cry. Dan broke free, frenzy overtaking him. It made him stronger.

It made him sloppy.

It took that one moment, that one second for Lester to strike back. His fist connected with Dan's abdomen, forcing air out of him. Lester pushed him back, knocking Dan to the side to cradle his stomach as Lester moved to his knees and off the broken remains of the chair.

Phil wiped some of the blood that dribbled out of his mouth with his hand, his eye darkening in fury. Dan didn't even have a moment before he was attacked again, a punch to the neck that nearly destroyed him. Phil grabbed him and pushed him onto his back, twisting his arms to immobilise him. With the grip Lester had, he almost snapped his bones.

Dan cried out, willing his muscles for that one last push so he could break free. Lester straddled the small of his back, holding Dan's arms with one hand and the other pulling on his hair and pushing his head up towards him.

“You can't win here, Howell.” Lester growled, spitting the blood out of his mouth onto the side of Dan's face. “Look what you've done to me, Howell. You will pay for this, no more games.”

Lester slammed Dan's head into the floor. His vision blurred, he could only see white as pain blinded him. He heard a sickening crunch in his nose region and the tell-tale pain flooded his nerves, announcing a broken nose.

In what seemed like a split second, Lester got off Dan and whilst the man was still reacting to the injuries he sustained, he kicked him in the stomach multiple times. Dan gasped, screams dying in his throat as he coughed up blood. He tried to curl into a ball to protect himself, but he couldn't.

And then, Lester stopped. Dan gained his sight back mostly, although in return, everything ached and bled and a headache formed in his skull. Noticing that Lester stopped attacking him for a moment, he tried to get to his feet.

Lester was a few steps away, seemingly no longer interested in Dan. He was looming over Chris, who was much more awake and screaming at the criminal, attempting to break the ropes with the sheer force of his muscles.

“Chris!” Dan cried out, although it came out more like a hoarse whisper. Lester turned to glance at him, not looking any better off than Dan. He was holding his stomach, looking like he was about to fall over. Dan was almost the same.

“Dan, you fucking run from here, you get me? I'll be fine!” Chris yelled out.

“Like hell I'm leaving now. It ain't fucking happening.”

Lester grinned madly. “Good,” He said, voice low and hoarse. “That means you won't run while I kill you.”

There was a gun pointed at him.

Dan saw the barrel of his own gun pointed at him through lidded eyes. Lester's body was weak, but his arm wasn't shaking.

He was going to die.

Daniel Howell was going to die from a bullet delivered from his own gun. Killed by Phil Lester.

It all hit him at once, the realisation that he wouldn't make it out alive from there. He could try dodging, but his body was slow and weakened. Lester wasn't a bad shot, there wasn't a hope of him missing his target. The man was beyond the point of reasoning or distraction so Dan could collect himself.

He really, truly was going to die.

After all he went through, after finally finding Chris again. Against all the odds.

Chris would watch him die just as Dan feared he would have to do to him.

He wasn't okay with that.

In his moments of paranoid thoughts, Lester did not shoot. It seemed like the situation from only moments ago was repeated. There was something stopping Lester from shooting.

Instead, he came closer to Dan. At that point, the latter was defeated, almost. He didn't move. He just followed the gun barrel with his eyes as it came closer to him. There was a chest in front of him and a hand pulling his chin up in a rough motion from where he was doubled over.

Their eyes met for just a second before their lips connected.

It wasn't pretty, their blood mixed in their mouths and the rusty taste overwhelmed them. It was rough and desperate and angry, Lester biting at Dan's lips like he was trying to rip them off. It was all pain and emotions; open mouths and domination; the final push from Lester to show him who he belonged to.

Dan's thoughts were swimming incoherently in his head. He could barely comprehend what was happening, but he tried. He made himself think again, forcing his brain to restart. He knew Lester was still holding the gun. He knew Lester was distracted by the bruising kiss. In the last act of desperation, Dan found the last ray of hope of survival he held onto and pushed through with it.

He twisted the gun out of Lester's hand and pushed back so the two of them were a few paces away from each other. Dan didn't hesitate this time.

He shot.

Lester cried out, trying to dodge. The bullet hit.

Yet it wasn't his heart or head, but just the shoulder, he now cradled as tears streamed down his face. “You're going to pay and so will your little bitch of a boss you hear me?” Lester roared, pulling out a hidden gun and shooting blindly.

In that moment, it was just the two of them. Chris' cries fell on deaf ears, leaving only them and the throbbing pain in their heads. Their blood spilling onto the floor, seeping out at rapid speeds that left them feeling hazy and weak. They needed to finish it before they didn't have the strength anymore.

Dan managed to dodge most of the bullets, but two hit. Two to his legs, bringing him down to his knees. He kept the grip on his gun, knowing it was his only salvation.

He shot back. He missed. He breathed heavily as he saw Lester aim again. His vision blurred momentarily, the heartbeat in his ears pumping louder than anything.

With a shaking hand, he raised his gun.

“You know it didn't have to turn out this way,” Lester said to him suddenly.

“There was no other way,” Dan rasped out.

“We could've had a happy ending...” Lester murmured, lips almost twitching into a smile, but not really.

Dan shook his head weakly. “No..it couldn't be happy unless it ended with you six feet under.”

Lester let out a breathy laugh, immediately regretting it as he started coughing up blood into his hand again. He looked at his stained digits, thoughts unknown to Dan running through his head. He prayed he never found out what was going on in Lester's head, ever. If he survived this by some stroke of luck.

“Didn't you wonder what it would've been like if we weren't like this, though? If you weren't an Agent and I...if I wasn't who I am.” Lester mused. “We could've worked.”

“Stop with this emotional bullshit” Dan snapped.

Lester smirked. “You disagree, but why aren't you shooting?”

Dan swallowed hard.

“I guess this is goodbye.”

“Finally.”

Two shots echoed off the walls. Two bodies fell to the floor.

One man cried out from his confines just as agents flooded the room. A moment too late.

  
  


 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm such a douchebag, I haven't updated in months. Many factors are the reason for that like starting university and real life but the biggest is "I'm a piece of shit who gets writer's block as often as the common cold".   
> However, it's all done now. The last chapter. This fanfic is officially finished. I know, I didn't think I'd ever see this day either.  
> It's an odd feeling to finish a story as big as this. I'm emotionally attached, but I'm glad I got to finish their tale. I hope you enjoyed the ending, I wonder if it's as much of a shock as I think it will be - so let me know!  
> Thank you for sticking with me throughout this story. I appreciate every single one of you. I hope you liked reading this as much as I liked writing it (when I wrote it, which was sporadic not gonna lie)  
> Big thanks to Ayden as well, who nagged me to write and gave me opinions on this before I posted it. You're the best.


End file.
